


Our Times

by Outliers



Category: Produce 101 (TV), VICTON (Band), X1 (Korea Band)
Genre: Developing Relationship, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, References to Depression, School, Slow Burn, This is going to be long
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-25
Updated: 2019-09-22
Packaged: 2020-09-26 09:20:40
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 20,218
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20387365
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Outliers/pseuds/Outliers
Summary: (Currently on hiatus)Seungyeon and Wooseok find each other through the pain they each carry.Dongpyo didn't think that Seungwoo, who he looks up to the most, would actually want to be his friend (or something more).*A little background:This is a series documenting the characters' pre-Produce journeys and the development of their relationships. The setting is in a three-year idol training academy, beginning from the start of their third year. Trainees are sent to this prestigious academy in hopes of receiving the best idol training in the country while competing for a spot in Class One in their third year. They are automatically sent to participate in Mnet's famous survival show, Produce 101, and receive early exposure if they are a Class One student, where they get a shot at debuting. Title is taken from the movie, Our Times.





	1. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seungyeon is intrigued by Wooseok.

Seungyeon grunts as he drops down to the floor, lying flat on his aching back. He feels like he doesn’t have an ounce of energy left to move, but he manages to pick up his phone to check the time. The numbers 3:00 glare brightly from his screen, and he rubs his eyes tiredly.

“You stayed later than usual tonight” commented Hangyul, as he plops down besides Seungyeon. He tosses an iced bottle of water to the latter, who gratefully presses the cool container to his flushed neck. Hangyul is used to practicing his dancing until past midnight every day, but seeing Seungyeon here at this time was a rare sight.

“One month in and I’m already feeling the pressure.” Seungyeon groans. Why did he think it was a good idea to choose both performance and producing as his core? Afterall, Seoul’s School of Performing Arts was notorious for its vigorous curriculum. He remembers the first year he enrolled in the training academy. Energetic and ambitious, Seungyeon only had eyes for the ultimate goal shared by all students-to become one of the Class One students at his third year. To be a Class One student was to gain a ticket straight towards the nationally famous idol survival show, Produce 101 after graduation. Even though students and trainees from all around Asia were welcome to apply, being a student of Class One came with privileges such as showcases to increase general public exposure, as well as the access to the best resources on campus. That meant a huge step towards debuting, and automatically rising towards one of the most famous boy groups in the nation. The competition was cutthroat, as 500 students were fighting for only 20 spots. Seungyeon’s concentration was in producing, but he was aiming for excellence in all areas. His hard-work plus natural talents, as well as being a social butterfly, Seungyeon quickly gained a reputation of an “all-rounder” and a wide circle of friends.

Hangyul was one of the first people he befriended; Seungyeon noticed that he was squinting throughout the whole class period and offered him his notes. In return, Hangyul stayed with Seungyeon after school to refine his dance moves for their monthly evaluation that was coming up soon. Of course, Seungyeon was ecstatic when he found out that Hangyul had also made it into Class One as a dancing core.

_And I thought second year was difficult, _Seungyeon smiled to himself ruefully. Monthly evaluations had become weekly evaluations, and he felt constant pressure from his company, Yuehua Entertainment to do well. Electing both producing and performance as his core meant double the workload, and his days consist of nothing but singing, rapping, dancing, and composing songs. Trainers were harsh towards everyone, often barking out insults that would reduce a student to tears. Seungyeon tried to maintain an upbeat attitude, not for his own but also for his fellow classmates’ sake, and his energy was always contagious.

“Alright, I’m beat. You need me to give you a ride?” Hangyul asks, already packing his backpack and getting ready to leave.

“Nah, you go ahead. I should practice my routine one more time.” Seungyeon yawns.

Hangyul shakes his head, but he says nothing. He knows there is no use in convincing Seungyeon to stop practicing once he sets his mind to it.

“Don’t oversleep tomorrow, or you’re going to get yelled at again by Trainer Bae” was Hangyul’s parting words.

Seungyeon hoists himself up from the floor, and reaches for the stereo. _One more time, from the top_. He feels his body get into position as the familiar melody fills the room.

*

_I probably shouldn’t have gone home at 5_, Seungyeon thinks to himself. Blurry-eyed and groggy after only two hours of sleep, he managed to rush to school just in time for his weekly evaluation. Seeing his disheveled state, Hangyul made a face but gave him a pat on the back. 

“Hyung, I was worried that you weren’t going to make it!” whispers Dohyun, a young but fierce rapper that Seungyeon had taken under his wing. The kid is well-known for being only fourteen and making it into Class One.

Just as Seungyeon was giving Dohyun a cheeky grin, Trainer Bae walks into the classroom with a stern look on her face.

“As you may know, today’s evaluation is especially important, because we are deciding who gets to prepare a solo performance for our November showcase. This is the first time you are being unveiled to the public, so first impressions matter. We will choose two candidates today that will compete for the final spot while the rest of you prepare for a group performance. So, do well and don’t mess up!”

With those uplifting last words, she proceeds to call out the first student, Choi Byungchan, to the evaluation room. Seungyeon stretches in his chair, not too nervous about the evaluation. He knows that he practiced a lot, and he wouldn’t be lying if he anticipated getting one of the two spots for solo candidates. Looking around, he tries to imagine who would be his potential competitor. Perhaps it would be Han Seungwoo, the lean, athletic student that had a voice like honey; or Kim Yohan, the natural performer that oozed charisma on stage. Or it could be –

“Kim Wooseok!” called Trainer Bae.

_Ah yes, _Seungyeon thought. How could he forget Kim Wooseok? He watches the student stand up gracefully, looking elegant in a simple loose white shirt, with the top buttons undone. He has light brown eyeshadow on that accentuates his doe eyes that stands out from his small face. Kim Wooseok has always been a mystery to Seungyeon. He knew he transferred over during the second year without anyone knowing why, and caused a further stir with his exceptionally beautiful looks. Albeit having a lot of friends, Seungyeon has never talked to Wooseok, even after becoming classmates in Class One. He has seen him perform though, and he knows not to disregard Wooseok as just a pretty face. Being loud and exuberant himself, Seungyeon found it difficult to approach the introverted Wooseok who seemed to constantly carry himself with an emotionless and cold face, but he has always maintained a degree of curiosity towards the unapproachable boy. 

Suddenly their eyes meet.

Seungyeon is jerked back to reality as he captures his gaze when Wooseok is heading towards the evaluation room. Surprisingly, he feels his heart squeeze but the feeling is as fleeting as their exchanged look. Seungyeon quickly shakes his head, unnerved. _I’m so sleep deprived. _He rubs his temple, trying to empty his thoughts, but he can’t shake the image of those dark brown eyes out of his head.

*

Seungyeon feels Dohyon fidgeting restlessly beside him. It has been an hour since the last student, Song Dongpyo, was called, and everyone is still stuck in the classroom waiting for results. Seungyeon, though initially confident after his performance, is starting to feel anxious as the nervous energy rubs off from his younger classmate. In an attempt to calm them both, he gives Dohyon’s thigh a light squeeze, the younger throwing a grateful glance at him. He sneaks a look at Wooseok, who is sitting two seats ahead. His porcelain features don’t betray any emotion as usual, but Seungyeon notices how he is lightly tapping his slender fingers on his thighs.

After what seemed like an eternity, trainer Bae finally enters the classroom with the other teachers trailing behind her. 

“We’ve watched your performance well, and we’ve picked out the two that we thought were most ready for a solo performance.” She glanced down at her clipboard. “Please come up if your name is called.”

“The first candidate is Cho Seungyeon.”

Seungyeon breaks into a wide grin and makes his way to the front as he hears appreciative hoots and clapping from his classmates, Dohyon giving out a particularly dolphin like squeal.

“The second and final candidate is…Kim Wooseok.” Again Seungyeon feels an involuntary clench in his heart when he hears the name – _gosh, what is wrong with him today – _and claps alongside his classmates as his eyes follow the small-framed student that comes to stand beside him.

“Practice hard for your performance, and we will decide who ultimately gets to perform solo at the showcase in two weeks. Don’t get too comfortable at the top.” Trainer Bae warned, but gives both boys a congratulatory pat on her way out.

As the classroom filled with the noises of chairs scraping the floor and chatting between the leaving students, Seungyeon turns to face Wooseok. Somehow he doesn’t detect any sign of happiness from the younger; instead, his eyebrows are furrowed, and Seungyeon thinks he even detects a hint of sadness in his eyes. Offering a hesitant but friendly smile, Seungyeon says, “So…I guess we’ll be working closely with each other a lot more now.”

Wooseok blinked, and his face quickly smooths into a neutral expression. “Yeah…I guess we are” the corner of his pink lips tugged up into a small smile. He gives Seungyeon a polite nod and turns around to join Seungwoo, who is waiting by the door. Hangyul and Dohyon are already discussing where they should celebrate over the weekend, and while Seungyeon joins in, his mind couldn’t help but drift towards the brief conversation he had with Wooseok, the flickering emotions in his eyes, his guarded smile.

_I wonder what it is like to be friends with Kim Wooseok._

*

With a groan of frustration, Seungyeon crumples up the piece of paper in front of him and tosses it into the recycling bin, hearing it thump against the twenty or so wrinkled sheets that were discarded in a similar fashion. He sighs, lying back in his chair. Words used to flow out so easily from his fingertips into lyrics that sounded like poetry, but now he can’t even finish a single verse in three hours?

_Well, you know who to blame…ever since he made me do that, I haven’t been able to write meaningful lyrics._

No. He mustn’t go down that path today. He just needed a muse, that’s all. Clicking the mouse, Seungyeon replays the song he had composed a couple of months ago, letting the melody wash over him for the millionth time tonight. The casual, lazy tune brings him back to a warm afternoon, relaxing on boat that’s cruising along a lake. He could so vividly imagine the bright sunshine, the sound of waves lapping, the contentment of just lying on his back with the warmth on his face. Yet his mind was blank, his pen scribbling out broken words that was nowhere near replicating the image he had for this song. Seungyeon had planned to perform an original song for his solo performance, but it was Wednesday already and he had yet to make progress beyond writing “you make me crazy, the way you look at me lately”. _More like I’m going crazy with these fucking bland lyrics _he scoffs in disgust.

Seungyeon sighs, checking the time on his phone, not noticing that it was 1am already. Thank goodness the academy’s recording studio was open 24 hours every day. _Might as well go home. I doubt I’m going to write anymore today. _He heads out of the studio and walks through the darkened hallway. Just as he was going to make a right towards the school entrance, he notices a dimly lit practice room on the other end of the hallway. _Hmm, maybe Hangyul is staying late today too. _Thinking that he should offer his friend a ride home, he makes his way towards the room. But instead what he sees makes his steps falter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! This is my first ever fic so apologies for the writing. I absolutely adore the Produce boys and have been wanting to write a story about them for a long time, so I decided to give it a shot. Any comments, questions or suggestions are welcome!


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seungyeon, in an attempt to resolve Wooseok and his own creative block, takes Wooseok to his secret place.

Instead of the bulky student with ash blonde hair, it’s a much smaller framed person with dark brown locks. _Wooseok._

Without him realizing, Seungyeon somehow turns the doorknob and enters with a “Hey, what are you still doing here?”

Wooseok jumps and whirls back from the bag he was packing. “Oh my fu – you scared me!” he exclaimed crossly.

“Sorry, didn’t mean to do that,” grins Seungyeon, holding up his hands in apology. He notices how Wooseok’s eyes have widened with fright, the tips of his ears tinged pink with embarrassment. _How cute._

Wooseok huffs in reply, giving Seungyeon a glare and smoothing his hair in an attempt to regain his composure. “I was planning on going home before you kindly gave me the fright of my life.”

“Hey, how was I supposed to know that you scare easily?”

“I didn’t expect anyone to be here at this time of the night!”

Seungyeon can tell that Wooseok isn’t really annoyed, he is just embarrassed to be caught off guard like this. It also occurred to him that this is the first time that he is alone with Wooseok. Suddenly, a potentially bold idea appears in his head.

“Well…as an apology, can I give you a lift home?” Seungyeon offers sheepishly.

“There’s no need to, I live like 15 minutes away. Besides, you don’t have to do me any favors for such a small thing” Wooseok strings his backpack over his shoulders and heads towards Seungyeon.

“I wouldn’t call it a small thing. If I remember correctly, your voice had gone up an octave and you were jumping as if you’ve seen a ghost…”

“Okay okay that’s it! Will you shut up about it if I let you take me home?” Wooseok covers his ears in annoyance.

“Deal” grins Seungyeon, winking at the younger boy.

*

And that’s how Kim Wooseok is currently sitting by his side as he fumbles with his car keys to turn on the engine, the former leaning on the window with his eyes closed.

Almost nervous, Seungyeon sighs quietly as the car hums to life, and he backs out of the parking lot and onto the road. All the casualness he had while previously bantering with Wooseok had left his body as he realizes that freaking _Kim Wooseok _is in a car with him, sitting so close that he can’t help but sneak peeks at the boy’s perfect features. _God, he’s actually even more good-looking up close._

“You should keep your eyes on the road.”

Seungyeon didn’t notice that Wooseok had opened his eyes. Blushing, Seungyeon stammers, “Um…yeah, I am. Don’t-don’t worry, I’m a good driver.” He fixes his eyes on the road, hoping Wooseok doesn’t notice how heated his face is.

“Hmm, I’m sure you are.” Was he teasing him? Seungyeon could almost hear a smirk in his soft voice, but he didn’t dare turn to look at the boy. 

Desperate to change the subject, Seungyeon said, “So you haven’t told me what you were doing so late at school.” 

“I was helping this kid Jinwoo, a first year, with his singing evaluation coming up this Friday. He’s a cute kid, very talented, but lacking confidence, so I’ve been meeting with him after school every Monday and Wednesday.”

_Damn, good-looking and with a heart of gold?_

“Isn’t that too much on top of your own schedule?” Seungyeon inquires.

“At first it was, but I’ve basically got to watch the kid grow. He reminds me of myself when I was younger, and I did remember hoping that I had someone to guide me through all of it.”

What Wooseok meant by “all of it” Seungyeon wasn’t sure, but he could tell that Wooseok genuinely cared for the boy. Again he detects the subtle sadness that had manifested after the solo performance announcement, but he doesn’t think it is his place to pry.

“But I’m sure you have more on your plate, doing both the composing and performance tracks.” Wooseok continues the conversation.

Surprised, Seungyeon turns to look at Wooseok. “I had no idea you knew what I was studying.”

“All-rounder Cho Seungyeon? This was the first name I’ve ever heard since coming here, it wasn’t difficult to guess why you had that nickname.” Wooseok says, shrugging.

_So Wooseok has always known my existence pretty much since the first day._ Seungyeon could feel the blush creeping back onto his face.

“An all-rounder who couldn’t even write four lines of lyrics today…yep, some all-rounder I am.” Seungyeon jokes in a self-depreciating way.

“I assume you’re preparing for your solo evaluation? That’s partially why I stayed so late today. I can’t decide on what side of me that I want to showcase, especially since it’s to the public.” Wooseok confesses.

Eyeing the boy beside him, Seungyeon longs to smooth out the creases that have appeared between his furrowed brows.

“Do you have time right now?” Seungyeon suddenly asks.

Wooseok gazes at Seungyeon thoughtfully and replies coolly, “Depends. What do you have in mind?”

“Sensing that you’re at a creative block as well, I know a place that might help.” As Wooseok doesn’t object, Seungyeon makes a U-turn. 

*

After driving for ten minutes, Seungyeon finally stops to park his car besides a dark alleyway. Wooseok casts a dubious glance outside of his window.

“And you’ve brought me to a serial killer’s hideout because…?”

“You’ll see in a second,” Seungyeon laughs, jogging to the end of the alley. Pressing his fingers against the wall, he moves around until he feels a switch poking out and flips it on. The dusty lights strung near the ceiling flicker before illuminating the tunnel in a dimly lit glow. Just as the graffiti paint splattered onto the wall becomes visible under the lights, Seungyeon sees Wooseok appear at the start of the tunnel. The latter guy raises his eyebrows but says nothing, walking slowly to take in the graphically strong images. Seungyeon opts not to say anything, not wanting to distract Wooseok. He instead studies a particularly colorful piece of art in front of him, block letters painted in the brightest contrast of blue and orange with specks of white that adorns the characters like wisps of smoke. He can’t quite make out what the embedded letters spell out; he sees an m, o, a curvy l, and maybe an a? M-O-L-A? Seungyeon is so deep in thought that he doesn’t even notice when Wooseok steps to his side.

“I can see why you like to come here.”

Seungyeon turns to look at Wooseok, who has his finger on the wall and tracing the chunky “a”. Wooseok seems so out of place with his neat pale blue shirt and dark slacks, looking almost too clean and perfect for the vibrant chaos that is surrounding them. Seungyeon, on the other hand, fits in perfectly with his tousled hair and tattoo-marked skin.

“When I run out of things to write about, I come here to see what inspires other people.” Seungyeon says, leaning on the wall. “The thing is I usually never understand what these images say, but their emotions speak louder than words. And just seeing them so loud, so unabashedly stuck on the wall for everyone to see makes me want to mark myself on this world in a similar manner with my songs-to be able to truly show who I am.” He finishes candidly.

“To be able to show who I am for everyone to see…” Wooseok trails off quietly. Seungyeon sees a flash of pain that shoots across the boy’s eyes, and he’s overwhelmed with a sudden urge to pull him into his arms. _What exactly has he been through?_

“I wish I had your confidence to make my mark on this world, and to not care about what other people think – that’s what I want to do” Wooseok smiles almost wistfully, effectively stopping Seungyeon from replaying the image of him wrapping his arms around the other boy, his head nestled snuggly on his chest. Seungyeon takes in how vulnerable the other boy is now, bottom lip biting absentmindedly and eyes misty. He can’t bear to see how dejected he is.

“Here.” Seungyeon thrusts a can of spray paint that was abandoned in the corner into Wooseok’s hand. “Make your mark now.”

“Wh – here? Now?”

“You said that’s what you want to do right? Then show me how you want to be seen.” Seungyeon picks up another can of paint.

Understanding dawning in his eyes, Wooseok’s mouth quirks up into a smile and moves to a part of the wall that is left relatively unblemished. For the next couple of minutes, nothing is heard except the swishing of paint being sprayed and the rattling paint cans. Seungyeon finishes first, dropping the empty can onto the floor and wiping his hands. A black, bold-lined question mark is now tagged on the wall, seemingly too simple surrounded by the other intricate designs. And that’s how Seungyeon wants himself to be-bold, unpredictable, and capable of infinite possibilities. He sits back at the other side of the wall to watch Wooseok add finish touches to his graffiti until the can eventually runs out as well. Both of them stay silent, even when Wooseok joins Seungyeon to sit down and they just try to take in what is shown.

Seungyeon gazes at Wooseok’s graffiti, a thornless red rose in full bloom. Somehow Wooseok is able to depict its lushness with spray paint, the scarlet petals delicate but bold at the same time with its thick lines. The flower is blooming in its full vigor, casually swaying to the right as if beckoning any passerby to come closer to admire its glory. Always hyper sensitive to the emotions that are portrayed in art, Seungyeon forms his own interpretation of what Wooseok is depicting on the wall, and he commits the image to his memory.

He chooses to compliment the other boy’s artistic skills, “I had no idea you could paint so well.”

“I do like to draw comics in my free time, so you could say I’ve dabbled in painting.” Wooseok says, ever so humble.

“Well, if being an idol doesn’t work out, you can always become an underground graffiti artist. In fact, you already look the part” jokes Seungyeon, pointing to the smear of red paint that had accidently been sprayed on Wooseok’s face.

“What do you mean?” Wooseok demands, pulling out his phone and trying to check his face with the camera.

“Here, let me help you.” Seungyeon presses his thumb gently against Wooseok’s cheekbones in an attempt to wipe away the paint, but he finds his finger lingering on the boy’s soft skin. Their eyes meet, and Seungyeon’s breath falters momentarily. The way his eyes look as he stares into them, so innocent and vulnerable, so unlike the cold and emotionless eyes he was used to seeing, and he feels himself sinking in, as helpless as ever since evaluation day when he abruptly captured his gaze, all of these emotions bubbling into something Seungyeon can’t seem to deny anymore –

Suddenly Wooseok jerks his head back, holding up his phone again. “Hey! You just made it worse!” He huffs, attempting to wipe at his face with the back of his hand but instead causing the smear to spread.

Seungyeon blinks, feeling slightly disoriented, but proceeds to chuckle when he sees Wooseok’s miserable attempts at making the paint disappear.

Narrowing his eyes, Wooseok says, “You think it’s funny huh?” Without warning he swipes his still paint splattered fingers on Seungyeon’s face, causing four red streaks to appear on his cheek.

“Oh no you didn’t just do that!”

Seungyeon rubs his cheek, trying to transfer some of the paint to his fingers and swings forward to catch the boy, causing the latter to stand up and run away. The two boys end up chasing each other through the alley with their peals of laughter echoing down the walls.

The chase results in a truce as both boys are panting, still laughing breathlessly and a black handprint smudged on the back of Wooseok’s shirt.

“Thank you, Seungyeon.” Wooseok said quietly, while Seungyeon is leaning on the wall to slow down his breath.

“For this?” grins Seungyeon, gesturing to their streaked faces and clothes.

“For tonight.” Wooseok doesn’t elaborate.

Seungyeon shook his head, still smiling, “You surprise me, Kim Wooseok.”

“Well, I guess you bring out the surprises in me.”

“And have I surprised you?”

Wooseok tilts his head thoughtfully. “No, in a way I see myself in you.”

“Now that’s something I’ve never expected to hear from Mr. Perfect himself.” Seungyeon teased, earning an eye roll from Wooseok. “Do enlighten me on how we’re similar.”

“You’re always smiling and creating laughter wherever you go, but that doesn’t reflect what you’re truly feeling inside. In fact…you’re used to covering up how you feel because you want to be strong, you _need _to be strong. Me on the other hand…I just mask whatever I’m feeling inside.”

Seungyeon freezes, taken aback by Wooseok’s direct reply. His words trigger something in Seungyeon’s mind, snippets of suppressed memories that are now struggling to claw their way back up…

_You are not worthy. You never will be._

_No_, Seungyeon thinks. _You’re not in that place anymore, _he tries to tell himself firmly. Wooseok _can’t _know about this. It takes all of his strength to keep his face composed and his breathing steady.

“Even though we haven’t spent much time together, I feel like I don’t have to constantly hide myself in front of you.” Wooseok says softly, not noticing Seungyeon’s inner turmoil and places his hand on Seungyeon’s arm. And just like that, Seungyeon feels his heart steady down, the dark emotions no longer pushing to overflow. His skin tingles where Wooseok’s fingers had so lightly touched him. It was in this moment that Seungyeon knew that he stopped being in denial, the way he so helplessly gravitates towards the boy like darkness to light, the way he calms him down with just one touch but sends his heart into a frenzy with a gaze. He was willing to do no matter what to keep this boy in his life.

With this newfound realization, Seungyeon gently encloses his fingers around Wooseok’s wrist. “You won’t ever need to. I promise.”

The air is thick with emotions that Seungyeon is too exhausted to decipher. Still holding on to Wooseok’s wrist, he tugs the boy towards the alley’s exit.

“C’mon, let’s get you home.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Seungseok owns my heart!! But I'll be focusing on Seungwoo's and Dongpyo's relationship in the next chapter. Hope that you guys will keep reading!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A glimpse inside Seungwoo's mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: mentions bullying and implied violence

“So, any plans after?” Seungwoo stretches, feeling drowsy after his meal. He looks at Wooseok, who was still nibbling on the last piece of tteokbokki on his plate. Every Tuesday, Seungwoo and Wooseok gets dinner together after their 7pm dance practice, and tonight it was at their favorite tteokbokki restaurant with the additional presence of Byungchan.

The two had naturally became friends after Wooseok transferred over during the second year. Both were incredibly popular; Wooseok for his prince-like visuals, well-rounded talents and mysterious aura, and Seungwoo for his athletic excellence and killer vocals. Seungwoo was one of the few people that knew about Wooseok’s past; during one of their usual night outings in the second year, Wooseok had drunkenly confessed to Seungwoo in a tearful tirade. Seungwoo, a man of few words, had listened silently, only holding the boy in a comforting hug until he calmed down. Though embarrassed the next day about his meltdown, Wooseok was relieved to have someone know, especially by Seungwoo that had a calming aura and was never judgmental. Byungchan is Seungwoo’s label mate, so the three of them hung out a lot together, though Wooseok is often wary of the younger’s love of excess skinship.

“I’m probably going to work with Seungyeon on his song for a bit. He’s pretty close to finishing so he wants my opinion.” Wooseok says, wiping his mouth with a napkin.

“With all the time you’ve been spending with him I would’ve thought that he had finished already.” Byungchan commented.

“Our solo evaluations are coming up soon, so we help each other prepare a lot.” Wooseok says nonchalantly. Seungwoo, though silent, casts him a knowing glance. Naturally sensitive and having been friends with Wooseok for a long time, he could already sense there was something unusual between the two, even if the other boy doesn’t realize it now. Seungyeon was even more obvious; both are in their school’s soccer club, and Seungwoo noticed how his eyes always lit up when Wooseok was mentioned.

Seungwoo smiles fondly at Wooseok. He wasn’t one to meddle in his friends’ relationships, but he does want Wooseok to be happy after everything he’s been through.

“You’re looking at me weird.” Wooseok says, narrowing his eyes at Seungwoo.

Just as Seungwoo is struggling to come up with an excuse, a tall, slender girl approaches their table. She is stunning, with long, jet black hair that frames her small face and large chocolate brown eyes. Her small, button nose and plump, cherry-red lips complete her doll-like features.

“Hi - hi, sorry to bother you, but I’m here on a dare to get your number…would it be okay if we exchanged numbers?” The girl flutters her eyes shyly at Wooseok, gesturing to the group of friends that were giggling and giving her the thumbs up.

Seungwoo watches at Wooseok’s expression closes off, and he says curtly, “Sorry, but I’m not interested in such childish games.”

“O-okay then, sorry to bother you again.” The girl’s face flushes scarlet, looking absolutely mortified.

“Don’t mind him, he’s not in the best mood. If it’s for a dare, I could give you my number if you want.” Seungwoo offers, trying to convey how apologetic he was for his friend in his eyes.

“I’m fine, you don’t have to.” And with that the girl practically runs back to her table, face still red. Seungwoo sees her friends crowding around her immediately while shooting deadly glares over at the guys. Seungwoo realizes that the girl did probably want Wooseok’s number, but only used the dare as an excuse to approach him.

“You could’ve let her down a lot more lightly you know.” Byungchan says reproachfully.

“A no is still a no even if I sugarcoat it.” Wooseok shrugs.

“She’s gorgeous though. Would it have been the end of the world to give her your number?” Seungwoo teases.

“If you think she’s pretty, why don’t you go ahead and ask for her number then?” Wooseok says testily.

“You know Seungwoo hyung isn’t interested in relationships! Plus, he has me, so why would he need some other girl?” Byungchan pouts, clinging on to Seungwoo’s arm, earning a pinch on the cheek from the latter. This was another thing that Wooseok and Seungwoo had in common. Both were deemed impenetrable by their fellow students because they haven’t dated anyone since coming to the academy. Still, that didn’t stop people from approaching the two occasionally, taking their chances. Seungwoo wasn’t opposed to dating, but he just hasn’t met anyone remotely interesting enough to go for something deeper.

“Sometimes I wonder if Sejun is even your boyfriend.” Wooseok says, rolling his eyes.

“Hey! Sejun is also friends with Seungwoo, and he knows how much I love my hyung.” Byungchan protests, circling his arms around Seungwoo’s waist possessively and shooting a glare at Wooseok that’s as intimidating as a poodle. Seungwoo laughs, ruffling the younger’s hair. Their relationship is truly platonic, but Byungchan is especially clingy towards Seungwoo. He spoils the younger by endlessly tolerating his demands, especially his constant need for skinship.

“Well, I’m going to leave you two lovebirds to your business then.” Wooseok says sarcastically, standing up. He waves goodbye and heads out of the restaurant.

“Do you want to come hang out at my place? Sejun is coming to pick me up in ten minutes.” Byungchan asks with his eyes on his phone, fingers tapping swiftly, presumably texting his boyfriend.

“Thanks Byung, but I’m probably going to head back to campus for a bit.”

“For what? It’s so late already! Sejun says he hasn’t seen you in a while too” pouts Byungchan, blinking his large puppy eyes.

“I’m going to go work out at the gym. Sorry Byungchan, maybe next time.” Seungwoo smiles apologetically, giving his friend a hug to bid farewell.

Seungwoo sighs quietly once he is out into the cool night. He loves his friends dearly, but values his alone time as much. Seungwoo has never felt awkward about doing things alone, whether it was watching a movie, eating at a Korean BBQ place or practicing. He often finds socializing taxing; perhaps that was why he was more inclined to listen rather than talk during conversations.

Arriving at the school gym after 10 minutes, Seungwoo changes into his gym gear and plugs in his ear pods. For the next hour he concentrates on keeping his mind blank, with only the music blaring in his ears and the strain of his muscles.

Seungwoo grunts, doing his last crunch. He falls back on the mat, panting and feeling the sweat drip down his face. It always felt good to work out. Training to be an idol already takes out a huge chunk of his time and energy, but Seungwoo makes sure to save time for the gym, no matter how late is was. Seungwoo wouldn’t call himself vain, but he takes pride in the lean physique he has built over the years.

After chugging down a bottle of water, he gets up to go home, ear pods still plugged in. Humming quietly to himself, Seungwoo takes the shortcut to his home from the school’s back door. _I really haven’t seen Sejun in a while. I’ll give him a call tomorr – _

THUD. Then a cry of pain.

The loud noises stop Seungwoo in his tracks. He takes his ear pods out, glancing around for the source. He swivels his head to where muffled laughter can be heard, a dark alleyway to his left. _Someone might be hurt. _Turning on his phone’s flashlight, he carefully makes his way through the alley.

“Yah, you think because you stayed behind in school so late and snuck out this way, we wouldn’t find you? How dumb do you think we are!” Seungwoo sees three guys crowding around a much smaller guy, and the one speaking has grabbed the small guy by his collar. His lip was bleeding, and a bruise was starting to form around his jaw. Seungwoo pockets his phone and silently puts his bag down.

“Let him go.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A short update, I'm still recovering from all the Seungseok content from yesterday's showcon lol. Honestly I'm so proud of their debut and all the performances blew me away, their title song especially. Now back to scrolling twitter for more fansite photos!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dongpyo finally crosses paths with Seungwoo.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: mentions bullying and violence  
*For future story purposes I've set Dongpyo's age to 18!

Dongpyo didn’t think this day could get any worse.

He had endured a particularly grueling vocal session where it took him a whole hour to perfect the pre-chorus of “If It Was You” up to trainer Shin’s standards. Then he kept messing up the choreography during his dance club, Art Beat’s practice. Wonjin and Sihun, the club’s co-leaders, had to call Dongpyo out for not focusing enough even though they were normally patient with him. He had planned to cheer himself up with his favorite bubble tea, but they were sold out already by 8pm. This minor setback was almost enough to push Dongpyo to the verge of crying.

And he just _had_ to run into these three jerks tonight.

The bullies have been after him since second year. They usually bothered Dongpyo for money; being naturally small-framed, Dongpyo had no choice but to be compliant. Ever since Dongpyo had been chosen into Class One though, the bullies have taken their harassment up a notch. They often waited for Dongpyo to be alone to pounce; sometimes it was merely insults, sometimes it involved several punches. _Cowards, _Dongpyo always thought contemptuously. _You guys don’t even have the courage to take on someone of your own size. _But who was he to call coward when he couldn’t even stand up for himself?

Now, they had him cornered in an alleyway. It was already 11pm; he didn’t expect them to still be around the academy at this time. They started out with their usual string of insults. _Well, well, well, if it isn’t our favorite money tree. How did you even get into Class One? Did your parents buy your way in? With a face like yours do you honestly expect yourself to debut?_

Dongpyo should be numb towards their jeers by now, but their words still stung. He scrunches his nose, smelling the strong scent of alcohol from their breath. _Great. They’re drunk as well. _Jooyoung, the one in charge of the trio, suddenly hisses, “Look at me when I’m talking to you!” Dongpyo’s head snaps to the side; it took him a second to realize that he had been punched across the jaw. He cries out as searing pain follows. The intense ringing in his ears doesn’t cover the guffaws by the two buffoons beside Jooyoung. Tears well up in his eyes, and he struggles to not let them overflow as Jooyoung grabs him by the collar.

“Yah, you think because you stayed behind in school so late and snuck out this way, we wouldn’t find you? How dumb do you think we are!”

Dongpyo sees another fist raised, and he closes his eyes to brace for the impact. He prays that it’s not on his face again, it’s going to be hard to cover up in front of his parents –

“Let him go.”

Dongpyo opens his eyes. He almost thought he had imagined the soft but steady voice until he sees who is standing behind Jooyoung. _Han Seungwoo?? What is he doing here? _Seungwoo is standing there in a sleeveless shirt and track pants, with long bangs covering his eyes. He looks calm and composed, yet radiating a dangerous aura that has goosebumps rising on Dongpyo’s skin.

Dongpyo had merely exchanged several casual greetings in class with Seungwoo. He was aware of Seungwoo’s legendary status in their school; he didn’t think Seungwoo would ever be bothered to be friends with him. So Dongpyo blinks, completely dumbfounded to see Seungwoo here.

“I said, let him _go._” Seungwoo takes a step towards Jooyoung, his voice still soft but with a menacing undertone. He wasn’t the usual friendly and charming Seungwoo that Dongpyo had observed in class; instead, he looked more like a lion that was ready to pounce anytime.

“Who the hell do you think you are? This doesn’t concern you. Get lost before I make you regret ever speaking to me.” Jooyoung spits out, still holding on to Dongpyo.

“I asked nicely twice. This is your own choice.” Before Jooyoung could even react, Seungwoo throws a swift punch at Jooyoung’s face, causing him to fall down and slam Dongpyo into the wall. Dongpyo sucks in a breath, feeling the wind get knocked out of him.

The other two bullies slowly back away, and one of them whispers urgently, “Th-that’s Han Seungwoo! I think we should probably end this for now.”

They help Jooyoung up who was still looking dazed from the punch, but he manages to slur out, “You better watch it kid. Next time we’ll make sure that nobody can save you.” Dongpyo watches the three of them trip and disappear hurriedly into the darkness.

“Hey…are you alright?” Seungwoo kneels down in front of Dongpyo, and gently lifts up his chin with his long fingers.

Dongpyo winces at the contact. He tries to smile but it comes out as more of a grimace, “Yeah, I’ll be fine. I’ve had worse.”

“Your lip is bleeding, and that’s going to leave a nasty bruise. You better get that cleaned up.” Without a warning, Seungwoo hoists Dongpyo onto his back.

“Whoa, what are you doing? Put me down! I’m really fine.” Dongpyo yells, absolutely mortified. How could he let Seungwoo carry him like this?

“You’re not going to be able to overpower me, so I suggest that you save your energy.”

The words get stuck in his throat. Seungwoo made a very valid point. Dongpyo sighs, carefully placing his hands on Seungwoo’s broad shoulders. It wasn’t that he was uncomfortable; in fact, it felt nice, perhaps _too nice_ to be carried by Han Seungwoo. But Dongpyo was embarrassed to be seen in such a state, especially by his classmate who he looks up to. Once again, he silently curses himself for being so weak.

Seungwoo carries him all the way to one of the academy’s empty dance practice rooms where he puts him down on a table to look for a first aid kit. Dongpyo looks at himself in the mirror. _Damn, how am I going to cover this up?_ The right side of his jaw is swollen and red; he knows that soon purple and blue bruises are going to bloom on his face. His lip has stopped bleeding, but it is slightly throbbing.

Seungwoo returns with an ice pack and first aid kit in hand. “Hold this to your face.” He hands the ice pack to Dongpyo, who obediently presses it against his jaw.

Seungwoo cups his hand around Dongpyo’s face, and says gently, “This might hurt a bit.” He wets a Q-tip and runs it over Dongpyo’s wound, cleaning it thoroughly. Dongpyo tries his best to keep still, so he focuses on watching Seungwoo. Dark brown eyes, straight nose, and plush lips. He admits that Seungwoo is extremely good-looking. Why does he like to cover his sparkling eyes with his hair? Dongpyo lowers his gaze and marvels at Seungwoo’s muscular arms, which were slightly flexing as the latter was slowly cleaning Donpyo’s wound.

“Why were they bothering you?” Seungwoo suddenly speaks, now switching to rubbing antibiotics on Dongpyo’s lips.

“They’re just jerks, and I happened to be in the way.” Dongpyo says breezily, trying to conceal the truth. What must Seungwoo think of him if he knew this has been going on for almost two years?

Seungwoo hesitates, but thankfully he doesn’t question him further. “You should be more careful. That blow must have hurt a lot.”

“There, you’re all done.” Seungwoo throws the Q-tips in the trash and packs up the first-aid kit. Dongpyo murmurs thanks, hopping down from the table. He notices the redness on Seungwoo’s right knuckles, which must have been caused by his punch to Jooyoung.

“You-your hand! I’m sorry, here –” Dongpyo quickly thrusts his ice pack at Seungwoo.

“Don’t worry about it, it doesn’t hurt.” Seungwoo smiles, gently pressing the ice pack back to Dongpyo’s jaw. He takes the younger’s hand and guides it to the ice pack. Dongpyo strangely finds his heart fluttering at how nice Seungwoo is. _No wonder he is so popular._

“Where do you live? I’ll walk you back home.” Seungwoo offers.

“That’s really not necessary! I’ve already troubled you enough tonight.” Dongpyo says quickly, once again embarrassed at how caring Seungwoo is to him.

“I can’t take the risk. What if you pass out on your way home?” Seungwoo asks seriously.

_He’s not going to take no for an answer._ Dongpyo sighs in resignation, telling Seungwoo his address.

“I had no idea we were neighbors. We live on the same street.” Seungwoo smiles. Dongpyo opens his eyes wide, shocked at the coincidence.

“Let’s go.” Before he could react, Seungwoo had already threw Dongpyo’s backpack as well as his own over his shoulders and walking out of the room. Sighing again, Dongpyo hurries to catch up with the older.

*

They both stay silent on their way home. Dongpyo notices that Seungwoo doesn’t talk much, not even bothering to generate small talk right now. But it’s a comfortable silence between them, and Dongpyo tries his best to keep up with Seungwoo who has much longer legs than him.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t notice that I was walking so fast.” Seungwoo says, slowing down his pace to match the other.

“Why did you help me?” Dongpyo blurted out the words.

Seungwoo cocks his head slightly. “You were in trouble, so I did what I had to do.” He says it matter-of-factly.

“But I’m not your friend or anything, and you got hurt because of me.”

“I think we could be friends though.” Seungwoo smiles, and his words send Dongpyo’s heart pounding. Did his idol just say that he wanted to be friends?

Blushing, Dongpyo stuttered, “It-it’s just that we haven’t really talked before today, so I’m sorry for causing you so much trouble.”

“I’m not really active when it comes to socializing or making friends.” Seungwoo sounds genuinely sorry. “But from now on, we can look out for each other.”

Dongpyo snorts. “How could I possibly be of any help to you? You’re strong, you’re good at everything, and well…I’m me.” He gestures to his whole body.

Seungwoo stops and turns around to look at him. He leans down and gently touches Dongpyo’s face where he isn’t injured, and looks at him directly in the eyes. Dongpyo forgets to breathe momentarily seeing how close Seungwoo’s face is to his.

“You’re stronger than you think, Dongpyo. You were brave when you faced the bullies today, and I’ve seen you practice. You work hard every day with a vigor that not many of us possess. If only I had half of your talent.” Seungwoo says sincerely.

Dongpyo is at a loss for words. He struggles to come up with a retort, but Seungwoo says, “We’re here. Go inside quickly and rest.” He gives Dongpyo a little push towards his apartment and drops the younger’s backpack by his feet.

“Goodnight, Dongpyo. I’ll see you at school tomorrow.” Seungwoo smooths Dongpyo’s hair, and without waiting for a reply he turns to walk towards his own home.

Dongpyo doesn’t move for a couple of seconds, still processing what Seungwoo had said to him. He feels a warmth spread where Seungwoo had touched his face, and strangely enough the bruises don’t hurt that much anymore. At the same time, the bruises are the only things that keep Dongpyo from thinking that tonight is a dream.

_Jooyoung actually managed to do something positive for my life._

*

The next day, Dongpyo snuck out of his house early before his parents woke up. He had managed to cover his bruises (which were now a vibrant hue of purple and blue) with an intense coat of foundation and concealer, but he didn’t want to risk his parents finding out about his injury. _It’s bad that they constantly worry about my training…I don’t need to burden them more with my troubles._

As a result, he is the first person to arrive in Class One’s homeroom. Dongpyo’s mind couldn’t help but drift back to his encounter with Seungwoo last night. Whenever he thinks of what Seungwoo had said – _I think we could be friends – _Dongpyo feels giddy with excitement. Right now he fans his face, trying to stop the nervous blush from spreading across his face. _Why am I feeling so starstruck? He’s my classmate! He’s just a human! _Dongpyo groans. _Who am I kidding? Han Seungwoo isn’t human. He’s perfect! He’s more than perfect, he’s – _

Dongpyo never got to think of a word that means more than perfect, because suddenly someone throws his arms around his shoulders from behind.

“Dongpyo! What happened to you? You didn’t text me back last night, I was so worried!” It was Jungmo, Dongpyo’s best friend. They always texted each other good night after chatting each other’s ears off, but Dongpyo had fallen asleep right after taking a shower yesterday.

“I’m so sorry Jungmo, a lot happened last night and I – ow!” Dongpyo yelps as Jungmo pinches his cheek out of habit, but hurts his bruise in the process.

“Ah, I’m sorry, I didn’t know I pinched you that hard. Woah, you really went all out with your makeup today.” Jungmo observes the cakey substance on his fingers.

Dongpyo rolls his eyes. “If you stay quiet for a second I’ll tell you what happened.” He proceeds to tell Jungmo everything, from why he got hurt to how Seungwoo treated his injury and how they walked home together. Jungmo, being the great friend he is, had all the appropriate reactions; his eyes darkened and muttered curses when Dongpyo talked about Jooyoung, then gasped as Dongpyo described how Seungwoo appeared and fought the bullies, and finally swooned at how attentive Seungwoo was towards Dongpyo.

“Before I get all excited about you and Han Seungwoo, we really need to talk about the whole Jooyoung situation.” Jungmo says seriously. “Insults are one thing, but getting physical? Please tell me you’re taking care of it, whether it’s telling your parents or any of the trainers.”

“I…yeah, don’t worry, this was just a one-time thing. They were just pretty drunk last night, and hopefully they will back off now that Jooyoung got punched in the face.” Dongpyo reasons unconvincingly, remembering the bully’s threatening last words. He feels bad about not telling Jungmo about previous incidents, but he doesn’t want to worry his friend even more. “You know how my parents get…I can’t really tell them.”

Jungmo sighs. He still looks at Dongpyo with worry in his eyes. “If it’s a money issue, I can always help you.”

“Absolutely not, Jungmo. Really, I’m fine, you just have to trust me on this. Their jeers are just words.” Dongpyo places his hands over Jungmo’s.

Jungmo stays silent, as if contemplating about arguing more about this matter. Finally, he lets out a breath, and says, “Okay, if you say so. But promise me that you will go straight to an adult if it happens again.”

“I promise you. Don’t worry so much.” Once again, Dongpyo’s guilt intensifies. He really hopes that Jooyoung leaves him alone so he doesn’t have to break his promise.

“You’re right, maybe I don’t have to worry anymore now that you’ve got your white knight.” Jungmo teases, wiggling his eyebrows and causing Dongpyo to become flustered again. “So! Are you going to ask Seungwoo to hang out?”

“How am I going to do that, Jungmo? He might’ve just said it to be polite.” Dongpyo says resignedly.

“Nonsense! If you’re really worried, just ask him out in a group setting! That way it won’t be too awkward and you can still get to know him.” Jungmo says confidently.

“We don’t even have that many mutual friends!”

“All you have to do is invite Seungyeon. He’s literally friends with everybody.” That was true. Though not personally close to Seungyeon, Dongpyo has always found him easy to be around with and reliable when he needed advice.

“I suppose this isn’t a half-bad idea.” Dongpyo ponders out loud.

“When have I given you bad ideas?”

Dongpyo opens his mouth in a retort, but Jungmo quickly brings his finger to Dongpyo’s lips to shush him. He subtly tilts his head towards the door, and Dongpyo sees that Seungwoo has chosen this moment to walk into the homeroom.

Jungmo’s expression plainly read, _“we’ll talk about this later!” _He turns around to face the front as the trainers walk in to update the students on details of the showcase as well as hand them their schedules for today.

Dongpyo sighs. It was just a regular outing with friends. There was no reason for Seungwoo to reject him, right? He had the same dance practice session at 3 with Seungyeon and Seungwoo today; that would be the perfect timing to ask. He checks the clock hanging on the wall. 8 o’clock. There was still plenty of time to work up his courage. _I’m not even this scared when I’m facing Jooyoung, _Dongpyo thought sarcastically. He hopes to God that this wouldn’t become the worst decision he’s ever made.

*

“And one! Two! Three and four! Pow pow pow pow seven and eight!” Everybody stills, their bodies locked into the final positions.

“Okay! That’s it for today. Great job everyone!” Trainer Kahi claps, and all students sprawl to the floor in various groans and sighs. Dongpyo kneels on the floor, not even bothering to wipe the sweat that is running down his face. He is completely exhausted after two hours of learning and perfecting the choreography for today’s lesson.

3 o’clock had come sooner than he thought. He is no closer to coming up with the perfect speech to ask Seungyeon about going out this weekend, but he sees Seungwoo leave Seungyeon to grab his water bottle. _It’s now or never._

Dongpyo quickly makes his way to Seungyeon. “Hey Seungyeon, how are you feeling?”

“Like I’ve been run over by a car. My body aches everywhere.” Seungyeon winces dramatically, but his grin shows Dongpyo that he isn’t really feeling that bad. “What’s up?”

“Um…so a couple of us have been thinking about going to Hongdae this weekend. We’ve all been working really hard for the showcase, and Class One could use this opportunity to bond. Do you think you could ask a couple of your friends?” Dongpyo asks in a rush.

Seungyeon smiles even wider. “That’s actually a great idea! I could ask Hangyul, Dohyon, and Yohan…”

“And Seungwoo.” Dongpyo adds quickly before he can stop himself. _Real subtle, Dongpyo. _He mentally slaps himself across the face.

Thankfully, Seungyeon doesn’t notice anything that’s out of place. “Sure, Seungwoo is right over there. Why don’t we just ask him?”

Before Dongpyo can say anything, Seungyeon yells, “Seungwoo! Dongpyo is asking if you want to hang out this weekend!”

Dongpyo is mortified. _That totally sounded like I was asking him out on a date! _He can’t bear to look at Seungwoo, but he hears an upbeat, “Sure!” He lifts his head up, and sees that Seungwoo is flashing him a warm smile, his eyes crinkling around the edges. Heart pounding, Dongpyo smiles weakly back, hoping he doesn’t appear as flustered as he is in the inside. Seungyeon gives him a thumbs up.

“Woah, do you want to lie down? You’re looking pretty flushed. You did go pretty hard during practice earlier.” Seungyeon asks, passing his water bottle to Dongpyo.

“That would be a good idea.” Dongpyo murmurs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I relate to this chapter's Dongpyo on so many levels, especially when I fangirl over Seungwoo. I mean, have you seen his Flash fancam today?!?! We'll probably explore the reasons behind Dongpyo's passive attitude towards the bullies in the future, but for now at least he has Seungwoo to protect him ;-;  
Back to Seungseok in the next chapter!


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wooseok bares his heart out for Seungyeon for the first time.

Seungyeon paces restlessly outside of the academy’s entrance. Wooseok had texted him an hour ago, asking if he wanted to hang out at his place. He had finally finished arranging the rendition of the song he wanted to perform, and wanted Seungyeon’s feedback. They could have agreed to meet in one of the school’s studio, but all were booked as weekly evaluations are coming up soon again.

It’s not that Seungyeon felt nervous about spending time alone with Wooseok. Ever since the night at the graffiti tunnel, Seungyeon has been hanging out with Wooseok every day, whether it is practicing together or grabbing a bite to eat. Moreover, he would always drive the younger home afterwards because Wooseok doesn’t own a car.

Wooseok is very comfortable to be around with. Seungyeon found out that Wooseok is actually quite talkative, and savage in nature. He likes to tease Seungyeon, often flashing his signature smirk that has Seungyeon’s heart skipping a beat. Seungyeon has come to terms with his budding crush on Wooseok, but he isn’t planning on doing anything for now. Although Wooseok says he doesn’t feel the need to hide himself in front of Seungyeon, he hasn’t opened up completely. Seungyeon can always sense the flash of darkness that clouds Wooseok’s eyes occasionally, whether it was when someone was complimenting him or when someone got too close. _He’ll open up to me when he’s ready. _Right now, he just wants to be Wooseok’s friend who he can rely on.

But the thought of them being alone in Wooseok’s room, the most intimate space where two people can be, has Seungyeon’s pulse quickening. _Just two friends practicing for their solo evaluation. Nothing more. _He tries to empty his mind of any additional thoughts.

“Hi, sorry to keep you waiting!” Seungyeon is so concentrated on his mind that he doesn’t even notice Wooseok approaching him. Wooseok is slightly panting, his face probably red from rushing to meet Seungyeon. He has to stop himself from reaching out to squish Wooseok’s cheeks together.

“No worries, I haven’t been here long. Ready to go?” Seungyeon flashes Wooseok a warm smile.

“Yes.” Seungyeon can’t really pinpoint it, but Wooseok seems…on edge? He can always tell when Wooseok isn’t his usual self by his facial expressions; and right now, Wooseok is biting his lip and he was looking everywhere but at Seungyeon.

“Hey…you okay?” Seungyeon asks softly, putting his hands on Wooseok’s shoulders. The younger snaps his head up, and lets out a breath.

“Yeah, sorry, I guess I’m just nervous now that solo evaluations are coming up.”

“That’s why I’m helping you practice tonight.” Seungyeon knows that Wooseok hates hearing empty comforting words such as _everything is going to be alright _or _I know you’ll do great. _And sure enough, Seungyeon feels some of the tension leave the other boy’s body, and he even offers a small smile.

“Remind me again why we keep practicing together? You’re supposed to be my competitior. I’ll be letting you know all of my secrets.” Wooseok teases as they walk towards Seungyeon’s parked car.

“And you’ll know all of mine. Don’t worry, I’m not planning to go easy on you.” Seungyeon playfully musses Wooseok’s hair. That was a blatant lie; Seungyeon is willing to give up his spot if it means seeing Wooseok happy, but he knows Wooseok will never forgive him if he did that.

The drive towards Wooseok’s apartment was quiet. Seungyeon had turned on his favorite r&b playlist, letting it calm his nerves. Seungyeon treads lightly after Wooseok even though the apartment is empty, as Wooseok’s parents are on a vacation in Japan.

“This is it.” Wooseok says, opening the door to his bedroom and gesturing for Seungyeon to sit wherever he wanted. He decides to settle in the desk chair.

“Would you like anything to drink?” Wooseok asks, being the perfect host.

“Water is fine, thanks.” As Wooseok heads back out, Seungyeon observes the arrangement of his bedroom. Much reflective of Wooseok’s character, his bedroom is clean and neatly organized. Unlike Seungyeon’s poster and record ridden room, the four white walls are bare of any decorations besides a clock and a framed photo of Wooseok and his parents. A keyboard and standing microphone in the corner complete the room’s basic furniture.

Just as Seungyeon is considering sitting over to the keyboard to play some music, Wooseok returns with a glass of water in his hand.

“Thanks.” Seungyeon takes the glass from Wooseok.

“As you can see, it’s not much.” Wooseok shrugs, referring to his bedroom.

“I like it. It’s so clean, unlike mine.” Seungyeon laughs awkwardly. They both fall silent. _What is with this tension in the air?_

“Do you want to perform your song first, if you don’t mind?” Wooseok asks somewhat timidly.

“Yeah, of course!” Seungyeon stands up quickly and moves over to the keyboard. His new song, Pool, was finished in great strides after he became closer to Wooseok. Turns out he really only needed a muse.

He plays the relaxed intro, thinking of warm summers and blue waters. Closing his eyes, he sang:

_I feel a little anxious_

_I can’t believe you’re my girl_

_Look at them_

_Everybody is looking at you_

_Hey baby stay next to me_

_Hey don’t look at her, she’s mine_

_Open the curtains and kiss my lips_

_You lie next to me again and turn on the music_

_It feels like I’m in heaven_

_Anywhere_

_It’s like the meaning of my happiness is you_

_I think there’s no bigger gift than you_

_Here’s my swimming pool where no one knows_

_All day long you can swim here_

_When you look at me I can’t do anything_

_You making me crazy_

_You making me crazy_

_You divin’ in my pool_

_(In my heart) Wave_

_I feel like you’re the only one here_

_You’ll be like “I’m the one”_

_She doing like “Boom boom boom boom boom”_

_You’re paddling in my heart_

_She doing like “Boom boom boom boom boom”_

_I can’t stop my heart_

At the end of the song, Seungyeon opens his eyes slowly, and sees Wooseok watching him with shining eyes.

“That was…beautiful Seungyeon. It sounds even better now that it’s completed.” Wooseok breathes, giving him a genuine smile. “The person who is able to inspire you is very lucky.”

“She’s lucky, but she doesn’t know it.” Seungyeon grins. He chose to use female pronouns in his song on purpose. The song was definitely inspired by Wooseok, but he feared that he would see through him right away. Seungyeon wasn’t sure if he was consciously keeping his feelings hidden away; he didn’t want to give any indication, but sometimes his emotions were so intense that he caught himself acting on them before he could stop. It was easier to secretly convey these emotions in a song to Wooseok than to bottle them all up.

“Perhaps she’ll finally know when you perform on stage for her in front of everyone.” Wooseok murmurs softly. He’s looking down and fidgeting his fingers.

“Hey, don’t be so sure that I’m going to get the spot! Come on, hit me with your best shot.” Seungyeon stands up, letting Wooseok use the microphone next. He wasn’t sure why the usually confident Wooseok looked a bit downcast today; was his song _that_ good?

Wooseok blinks, looking at Seungyeon with a strange expression, but he goes ahead and stands in front of the microphone without saying anything.

He searches for the song on his computer and presses play. Seungyeon sucks in a breath. The nostalgic instrumental of BOL4’s To My Youth warbles out, sweet and sad at the same time. Seungyeon knows this song all too well. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to stay here and listen to the words that speak so closely to his heart, especially sung by someone who clearly resonates with the lyrics as well. But it’s too late. Wooseok keeps his gaze on the floor, and takes a deep breath before singing:

_At some point, I used to wish I would disappear from this world_

_The whole world seemed so dark and I cried every night_

_Will I feel better if I just disappeared?_

_I was so afraid of everyone’s eyes on me_

_During those beautiful days, I was in pain_

_I hated myself for not being able to receive love_

_My mom and my dad, they’re only looking at me_

_It’s not how I really feel but I keep getting farther away_

_What do I do?_

_What do I do?_

_What do I do?_

_What do I do?_

_The saying that time is medicine was really true for me_

_As the days went by, I really got better_

_But sometimes, when I’m too happy, I’m afraid I’ll be in pain again_

_I’m afraid that someone will take away this happiness_

_Those beautiful memories were so painful_

_I was hurting and hurting but the pain wouldn’t go away_

_My friends, all these people, they’re only looking at me_

_This isn’t how I really am but I keep getting farther away_

_But still, maybe I can be_

_A bright light in this world_

_Maybe after all of that pain_

_I can shortly shine a light_

_So I couldn’t give up_

_I couldn’t fall asleep peacefully for a single night_

_Because maybe if I keep trying to get up like this_

_I will find myself_

_How painful must it have been?_

_How painful must it have been?_

_How high must my hopes have been?_

Wooseok sings the last lyrics with a tremor. He stays there with his hands clasped around the microphone, head bowed down, the unmistakable sheen of tear tracks on his face.

Seungyeon can’t get any words out. He desperately searches for any syllables to form a coherent sentence to comfort the boy that was so evident in pain, but all words seem meaningless when Seungyeon can feel his own heart shatter into a million pieces, whether it was because of the lyrics, Wooseok’s pain, or Seungyeon’s own anguish. He could physically feel the hurt amplified tenfold on himself through Wooseok’s voice, and he’s –

_Suddenly he’s ten years old, standing in his bedroom crying, ripped pieces of paper scattered on the floor._

_“Stop wasting your time on worthless things. You will grow up to be nothing if you don’t listen to me right now.”_

_And Seungyeon felt a searing pain in his heart, he was so sure that his heart was being torn in two, the pieces scattered somewhere in his body like the pieces of sheet music on the floor – _

“Wooseok…” Seungyeon whispers thickly, still unable to utter anything else besides the other boy’s name, consciousness desperately grabbing onto anything but his own memories. Only when Wooseok kneels down, crying openly, does Seungyeon snaps to his senses and rushes forward to pull the boy into a crushing hug.

One hand cradling the back of Wooseok’s head, and one arm around Wooseok’s waist, Seungyeon firmly holds him to his chest, feeling the muffled sobs wreck Wooseok’s small body as he struggles to catch his breath. He says nothing, only giving comforting pats to Wooseok’s head, and they just stay like this for a while, ten minutes, maybe twenty, Seungyeon doesn’t keep track.

Wooseok’s breathing gradually slows. He finally lifts his head up from Seungyeon’s shirt, all puffy-eyed and red-nosed. Seungyeon shouldn’t notice how pretty Wooseok looks in this moment, but it’s unfair, really, how he looks like a weeping angel that has been banished from heaven. He gently wipes Wooseok’s tear-streaked face, and brushes his damp hair away from his forehead.

“I- I’m sorry, Seung-Seungyeon, for losing control.” Wooseok hiccups. “I did-didn’t know what I-I was expecting, choo-choosing this song. I-I really thought about what you said, about how I want to ma-make my mark. I want to tell everybody that I’m more than just my appearance, and I’m not afraid of _feeling, _but I –” Fresh tears begin to leak out of Wooseok’s eyes.

“But I _am_ afraid, I am terr-terrified of emotions, because they hurt most of the ti-time, and I’m so _tired_. I’m tired of second-guessing what other people think of me, tired of being in pain, tired of people complimenting me when I know I don’t deserve it.” Wooseok finishes in anguish, burying his face into Seungyeon’s chest again.

“Hey…look at me.” Seungyeon gently lifts Wooseok’s chin up. “Don’t ever apologize for losing control, at least not to me. Remember what I had promised you. You don’t ever have to hide yourself in front of me. And whatever is causing you pain…” Seungyeon pauses. “We’ll get through it together, whenever you feel ready.”

“Seungyeon…I-I do want to let you know, but you’ll think differently of me. And I can’t bear the thought of you…” Wooseok doesn’t finish the sentence and instead covers his face with his hands.

“Nothing will change the way I see you, at least not what I know already. You’re funny, charming, caring, hard-working, and talented – anybody would be lucky to have you as a friend, I know I am. So don’t worry, okay?” Seungyeon pulls Wooseok in for another hug. Impulsively, he kisses the top of Wooseok’s head and whispers, “By the way, you deserve the whole world.”

Wooseok chuckles weakly and breaks out of the embrace. “Thank you, Seungyeon. You promised me that we’ll get through my pain; I promise that we’ll get through yours too.” He says quietly, reaching out to touch Seungyeon’s cheek. Only then does Seungyeon realize that tears have been silently rolling down his face. He doesn’t know how observant Wooseok is, or how much Wooseok can sense what he is struggling with, but in that moment he is just grateful to have the boy by his side. His mind is still hazy with blurry images from previous memories, but they are easier to ignore when Wooseok is here.

“I’m sorry for ruining your shirt.” Wooseok says ruefully, looking at Seungyeon’s tear-soaked chest.

“Payback for me smearing yours with graffiti paint.” Seungyeon jokes, attempting to lighten the mood, and he’s relieved to see Wooseok’s teary grin.

“I was totally fine practicing this song one night ago. I don’t know why it hit me especially hard today.” Wooseok mumbles, wiping away the rest of his tears with his sleeve.

“Maybe you just needed to vent emotionally to someone.”

“Not just someone. You.” Wooseok is looking directly at Seungyeon in the eyes, his voice unwavering. Seungyeon feels a warm flush spread across his cheeks, his heart so full that it might burst. It is absolutely heartwarming to know that the boy he cares deeply for places this much trust in him. He makes a promise unspoken. _I won’t ever let you get hurt again. _

“I’m suddenly craving some ramyeon. Do you want some before you leave?” Wooseok asks suddenly, standing up. It was quite late already; the clock hanging on Wooseok’s wall indicated it was a little over midnight.

“Sure. When have I ever turned down free ramyeon?” Seungyeon grins. They head into the kitchen, and Wooseok starts boiling water.

“By the way, Dongpyo asked me today if I wanted to invite a couple of friends to Hongdae this weekend. Says it’s for bonding. Do you want to come?”

“Sounds like it could be fun.” Wooseok opens a ramyeon packet and dumps the noodles in the water. “Pick me up on the way.”

He says it so naturally that Seungyeon doesn’t register what he means at first. “So…we’d be going together?”

“Yes. Isn’t that what you’re asking me?” Wooseok blinks innocently.

“Um. Yeah.” This definitely isn’t what Seungyeon was thinking of. Heart pounding, he’s afraid to read more into the meaning of Wooseok’s words. He just wants a ride, right?

“Okay, it’s settled then.” Wooseok turns back to the stove to add in the remaining ingredients, but Seungyeon swears he sees a ghost of a smirk on the former’s face. Seungyeon has to mentally restrict himself from uttering _it’s a date._ He sighs, deciding to focus on the aroma that’s filling the kitchen. Perhaps it’s best not to overthink.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhh Seungyeon open up your eyes moreeee. Uni starts tomorrow so I probably won't be able to update as fast, but this has been such a stress relieving channel for me so I'll probably be writing more! As always thanks for reading!
> 
> *Lyrics of Seungyeon's "Pool" and BOL4's "To My Youth" are taken from Youtube.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finally time for their trip to Hongdae!

Friday’s evaluation came quickly. Seungyeon, as usual, was not at all nervous. Even though he did have the ambition of performing solo for their showcase, he was more than happy to watch Wooseok sing on stage instead.

Wooseok is visibly more nervous than Seungyeon. He keeps smoothing his hair every five seconds and fixing his makeup with his phone’s camera. When Wooseok swipes his lip tint over his lips for the umpteenth time, Seungyeon chuckles and says, “Hey, take it easy with the tint. They went from pretty lips to sausages really quick.”

Wooseok sends Seungyeon a death glare. “Cho Seungyeon, I swear to God don’t test me right now.” He looks at himself in his phone again, puckering his over-plumped and red lips. “Oh my God they do look like sausages don’t they! This is a disaster!” Looking around, Wooseok frantically searches for tissue paper in an attempt to wipe off the excess.

Seungyeon watches Wooseok endearingly, thinking how adorable he is looking all flustered. Despite his makeup, he still made Seungyeon’s heart skip a beat when he showed up in a white, V-necked sweater tucked in blue jeans. Seungyeon understands why Wooseok is so nervous. This was an opportunity for Wooseok to show who he truly is on his own terms; perhaps, it was even a redemption for whatever past he had.

With a smile still on his face, Seungyeon took Wooseok’s hands in his own. “Hey, look at me. Take a deep breath.” Wooseok’s eyes still glints with annoyance, but he obediently closes his eyes and breathes.

“You will definitely blow them away with your performance. Stop stressing about your makeup. Besides, you’re still the prettiest in the room.” Seungyeon winks, in which Wooseok rolls his eyes at.

“I know that already seeing that there’s only the two of us in here, so that doesn’t reassure me at all.” Wooseok says, reverting back to his savage self.

Just as Seungyeon is preparing to tickle Wooseok in response, trainer Shin and trainer Bae walks in. “Wooseok, we’re ready for your evaluation. Come into the next room.”

All the laughter vanishes from Wooseok’s face, immediately switching to the professional expression he has mastered. Seungyeon gives his hand a squeeze and whispers, “Good luck!”

Seungyeon isn’t too worried for Wooseok. He knows the other boy practiced diligently for the past two days, and has his emotions in check so the right amount is enough to touch the trainers but not to the point of overly sentimental. He only hopes that the trainers will be able to appreciate Wooseok as if through his own eyes.

*

To Seungyeon’s delight, Wooseok ended up earning the spot. Trainer Bae had praised them both, saying that they were both performance ready, but ultimately went with Wooseok because he was able to leave a more memorable impression.

When trainer Bae announced their decision, Wooseok’s eyes widened in shock. He gave a swift bow, thanking the trainers for their consideration. Seungyeon had rushed over to give the boy a hug, grinning from ear to ear.

“Seungyeon, it should’ve been you.” Wooseok looks at him apologetically, and Seungyeon knows that he truly believes it, not just saying empty words to consolidate him.

“Nonsense. You deserve it, and never think otherwise.” Seungyeon says, ruffling Wooseok’s hair. Nothing could beat the feeling when he saw a genuine, happy smile bloom on Wooseok’s face. He feels like he’s collecting a photobook of Wooseok moments; for instances like this, he wants to have Wooseok’s smile etched in his mind forever.

*

With the solo performance all decided, the Class One students could finally take a breather before they start to prepare for their showcase group performances. They are set to meet at Hongdae at 9pm tonight, so Seungyeon agreed to pick up Wooseok from his home at 8:45. When Dohyon and Yohan asked for a ride, Seungyeon spluttered, unable to come up with a valid excuse to refuse them.

“Seungyeon’s busy before 9 so he can’t pick you up.” Hangyul said, coming to Seungyeon’s rescue even though this excuse wasn’t doing Seungyeon any favors.

“How can you be busy? Your solo evaluations just ended.” Yohan asked, suspicion evident in his expressions.

“Right, and I thought you were already picking up Woo – ow!” Dohyon was cut of mid-sentence, as Hangyul gave him a cuff on the back of his head.

“Yah, don’t ask so many questions! Your hyung is a busy man. If you need a ride, I’ll give you a ride.” Hangyul said while Dohyon looked at him mutinously. The former gave Seungyeon a smirk while he just wanted to disappear into the ground.

Hangyul, though rarely serious, was surprisingly observant. He quickly caught on to Seungyeon’s crush and cornered him one day after dance practice to question him. Seungyeon at the time thought it was a good idea to let the younger know in case he needed some advice, but he learned that Hangyul liked to tease him more than anything.

“Thank me later. And don’t be shy to ask me to assist you with your preparations for you _date_.” Hangyul whispered to Seungyeon once Dohyon and Yohan were out of earshot. In situations like this Seungyeon wanted to strangle and thank Hangyul at the same time.

Seungyeon sighs. He has had his fair share of dates in the past, but none were as nerve-wracking as tonight’s. _And it’s not even a date! _He’s not even sure if Wooseok and him are going to hang out together once they’re at Hongdae with the rest of his classmates. Even so, he’s still nervous when he thinks back to Wooseok’s expectant eyes when they were eating ramyeon at his place. He doesn’t want to admit it, but he may need Hangyul’s help after all.

“Hangyul!” He calls out the boy, who was leaving with Dohyon and Yohan.

“I…might need some help.” Seungyeon admits grudgingly.

Hangyul grins, as if already expecting Seungyeon to say that. “Come on, let’s go. I’ll pick you guys up later! Don’t make me wait!” He yells to the other boys.

“Don’t worry. By the time we’re done, you’ll no longer be nervous and no one will be able to resist you.” Hangyul says, patting Seungyeon on the back.

Seungyeon rolls his eyes, already regretting his decision.

*

They end up going to Seungyeon’s house to pick out what he is going to wear. Seungyeon, usually the more fashionable one, has trouble putting together a cohesive outfit for the first time. Hangyul on the other hand has a blast recommending outfits to Seungyeon that is wackier and wackier than the last. Finally, he settles on a simple outfit, consisting of a grey hoodie, a black bomber jacket, and black ripped jeans. He even spiked his hair and sprayed some cologne for good measure. Hangyul approves, saying that it makes Seungyeon look chic and very “boyfriend material-like”, which just made him blush.

Seungyeon admits that his banter with Hangyul soothed his nerves. He texted _thanks_ to Hangyul, who didn’t even bother to change and already left to pick up Dohyon and Yohan from a café. After writing down some lyrics to pass the time, he too heads out to pick up Wooseok from his home.

He pulls up five minutes earlier than their agreed time. Texting Wooseok to let him know that he’s here, he restlessly checks his appearance in the rearview mirror. _I might have overdone it,_ he thinks, running his fingers through his gelled hair. A soft knock on the window distracts him from fussing with his hair, and he opens the door to let Wooseok in.

And that’s when Seungyeon realizes that he is done for.

Wooseok has changed into a bright yellow, oversized, crewneck sweater with a white, round collared shirt peeking from underneath, while wearing the same pair of blue jeans with black Vans. He has also taken off the heavy makeup from earlier today, instead opting for light foundation only and natural lips, which only highlighted how flawless his features are naturally. Perched on top of his straight nose are a pair of large, round glasses, giving Wooseok a younger look. Seungyeon’s heart beats painfully in his chest, longing to pull the soft-looking boy into his arms as well as doing other possible things. _Dear God, please grant me strength so I don’t do anything stupid tonight._

“You…you cleaned up well.” Seungyeon says, trying to mask the inner desire that is sending tingles to his lower abdomen.

“You’re not so bad yourself.” Wooseok smirks. _Gosh, does he know what he’s doing to me?!_

Determined to stop his mind from wandering to forbidden places, Seungyeon keeps his eyes firmly on the road as he drives them toward Hongdae, even though Wooseok is chatting animatedly with him, still in a good mood from today’s evaluation. He breathes a quiet sigh of relief as he sees that Hangyul’s party has already arrived and rushes over to join them, ignoring Yohan’s surprised reaction and Dohyon’s glare of betrayal.

Soon, Seungwoo arrives with Byungchan and Sejun, while Dongpyo arrives with Jungmo and Wonjin, and the group starts their night by strolling through the various street food stands. The bustling streets are packed with people, locals and tourists alike. Seungyeon enjoys himself by indulging in various cheap, delicious foods, including tteokbokki, cheesy fried chicken bites and bungeoppang ice cream. Initially chatting with Seungwoo and Hangyul in the front, he slows his pace to match Wooseok’s, who is lagging behind while eating a large, rainbow-colored cotton candy.

“Enjoying yourself?” Seungyeon grins, gesturing at the large ball of fluff.

“Hmmm, but it’s so sweet. Try it.” Without warning, Wooseok, tears away a large piece and stuffs it into Seungyeon’s mouth.

Seungyeon feels the fluff melt away into sugary nothingness, savoring the sweetness in his mouth. _It’s sweet, but nothing is sweeter than your smile, _Seungyeon thinks to himself.

“It’s good.” Seungyeon says, taking over the cotton candy and popping more into his mouth. Suddenly, someone squeezes by them from the side, jostling Wooseok, and Seungyeon out of reflex pulls Wooseok swiftly towards his chest, close enough that he smells the scent of his vanilla shampoo. It takes them both a second to realize what has happened, and Seungyeon holds on to Wooseok a little longer than he is supposed to. Wooseok murmurs a soft, “Thanks”, and Seungyeon sees that his ears are tinted pink. He tries to ignore how good it felt to have Wooseok close to his body, height difference just right for him to press a warm kiss on the other boy’s forehead.

The group halts in front of an arcade, Hangyul and Dohyon chattering excitedly for them to go in. Welcoming this distraction, Seungyeon strides forward to join them. It’s best if he doesn’t stand too close to Wooseok again tonight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> School's not so busy yet so guess I'm back earlier than expected! This is such a fun thing for me to do and inspiration has come to me so much that I've pretty much planned out how the next chapters are going to be. Can't wait to put them all into words!


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What happens to Dongpyo and Seungwoo at Hongdae?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've also set Wonjin to legal age for story purposes~

Dongpyo looks around distractedly, not focusing on the zombies he’s supposed to shoot on the screen. He had been trying to talk to Seungwoo the whole night, but the older was always surrounded by other people. For one, Byungchan never seemed to leave his side, even though his boyfriend was walking next to him, hand in hand.

_GAME OVER. _The screen flashes in bright red words. Dongpyo’s character has lost all of his blood before he even registered it. His heart not in the game, Dongpyo glances around again, trying to get a glimpse of Seungwoo. He had previously spotted him standing next to a racing game, looking disinterested while Hangyul and Dohyon were yelling with excitement, both competing on the same track. _Maybe he doesn’t enjoy gaming, _Dongpyo thought.

“That was…underwhelming.” Wonjin said, voicing his dissatisfaction and putting down the plastic gun, his character having died as well. His eyes gleam as he discovers the other shooting section, where players are supposed to shoot at balloons with a BB gun.

“Why don’t we make this interesting? The losers have to buy the winner a snack from the food stands.” Wonjin proposes to Jungmo and Dongpyo. Jungmo shrugs, not objecting.

“Actually, I think I’m going to –” Dongpyo stops mid-sentence, seeing the glare that Wonjin directs at him. He sighs. Wonjin has a competitive streak that comes out occasionally, usually when he’s bored or when there’s food involved. Considering that the current situation involves both, Dongpyo doesn’t think that he has a choice.

“Fine, one game then.” Dongpyo compromises. He doesn’t really care if he wins or loses; he just wants to finish it as quickly as possible.

Picking up the BB gun in front of him, Dongpyo aims at the colorful balloons on the wall, pulling the trigger offhandedly. The bullets make soft popping sounds on the wall as he misses three times in a row. Wonjin, having already shot down a row of five, shouts with glee. Even Jungmo was doing better than him. Dongpyo attempts to put more effort into aiming, but he can’t hold his hands steady as he closes one eye and tries to pull the trigger again –

“You’re shaking too much.” A soft, silky voice speaks into Dongpyo’s ear, and he jumps as if a bolt of lightning zapped him. He immediately knew who it was. He could recognize that voice anywhere.

Seungwoo wraps his arms around Dongpyo from behind, hands finding his on the gun. His long index finger snakes in through the trigger and curls around Dongpyo’s. He can feel Seungwoo leaning down, head right behind his left ear, his breath on his neck already making him weak in the knees. _If I tilt to the left, Seungwoo’s lips would be pressed against my skin._ That thought is enough to send his brain into overdrive.

“Keep the gun steady” – Dongpyo is probably shaking even more now – “and hold your breath” – it’s fine, he isn’t breathing anyway – “keep your eyes on the target” – his eyes are taking in the stimuli but his brain isn’t registering what he’s seeing – “and slowly pull the trigger” – Dongpyo is probably frozen at this point but Seungwoo goes ahead and presses his index finger lightly. The gun pops again, this time hitting a balloon.

Seungwoo chuckles, sending tremors along Dongpyo’s body. “That wasn’t so difficult, was it? Now you try it.” He steps back, arms leaving Dongpyo’s side, and Dongpyo almost misses the warmth of the embrace. He obliges, aiming at the next balloon, and miraculously he pops that one too.

“Nice! You learn so fast.” Seungwoo says, pinching Dongpyo’s cheek affectionately. “I’ll leave you to it then.” And with that he walks off, presumably to look for his other friends.

Dongpyo buckles, not even bothering to finish the game. Wonjin is too into it to realize what is happening, but Jungmo is staring at Dongpyo with his mouth agape, eyes bulging.

“Wha – how – did he – _what just happened_???” Jungmo literally squeals, putting down his gun and rushing forward to pull Dongpyo back onto his feet.

“Okay, you yelling in my ear is not going to clarify anything.” Dongpyo covers his ears, slowly coming back to his senses.

“Ooooh but I’m sure you would love it if I lightly whisper into them.” Jungmo lowers his voice mischievously, breathing into Dongpyo’s ears.

Face bright red, Dongpyo swats at Jungmo. Wonjin comes over, only noticing the commotion now. He looks at the wall and shakes his head. “Wow, you guys do suck. Guess now you both owe me a treat!”

Jungmo rolls his eyes at Dongpyo, following Wonjin to one of the popsicle stands. Tugging the boy behind him, he says, “Come on, let’s give him what he wants quickly so we can move onto more important matters.”

“Which is?” Dongpyo doesn’t have a good feeling about the gleam in Jungmo’s eyes.

“To discuss how to take your relationship to the next level!”

“What! Jungmo, are you out of your mind? There’s no relationship to begin with! This is the second time we’ve hung out, if you count that time he patched me up…” Dongpyo splutters.

Jungmo rolls his eyes again. Dongpyo begins to think that this is going to be the permanent expression that Jungmo gives him. “Please, we’re talking about Han Seungwoo here. As if he goes around back hugging people and invading other people’s personal space. The only skinship I’ve seen him engage in is with Byungchan, and you know that’s usually initiated by the other.”

“Even so, we don’t know each other that well. Plus, it’s not like I want to be in a-a relationship with him.” Dongpyo mutters, a warm flush spreading across his cheeks. He doesn't even dare think about the idea of him being so close to Seungwoo. Besides, Dongpyo has never dated anyone, between the pressure from his parents and the academy’s intense curriculum. He has never thought about anyone in that way.

Seungwoo is an entirely different matter. It all started out as admiration and respect for the elder; Dongpyo was content with just being classmates with him. Of course he is drawn towards Seungwoo’s exploding charisma on stage and charming personality off stage, but who isn’t? However, now as their interactions increased, Dongpyo catches himself minding Seungwoo’s actions on a daily basis. And when he’s close, _dangerously close_, it’s enough to stop Dongpyo’s brain from functioning and for him to experience breathing difficulties. These could all just be symptoms of him being starstruck, right? He had thought highly of him for a long time after all.

Jungmo looks at him knowingly. “You just don’t realize it yet. But don’t worry. I’ll help you along the way.”

“Honestly Jungmo, you’re getting way ahead of yourself. Wait, where’s Wonjin?” Dongpyo stops suddenly to look around, unaware that their friend wasn’t following behind.

“Eh, don’t worry, he’s probably buying something else to eat.” Jungmo says, not at all concerned.

“You do realize he’s our ride home?” Dongpyo says exasperatedly. It was quite late as well. Thankfully, they find Wonjin with Hangyul’s group easily, sans Seungyeon and Wooseok. Dongpyo falters, seeing that Seungwoo is there as well.

Yohan greets them. “We’re probably going to a bar after dropping the baby off.” He playfully pokes Dohyon, earning him a glare. “Do you guys want to join? Not Dongpyo of course.” Dongpyo sighs. His friends were all of legal age. Even though he is one year away, he often feels like the gap is as wide as the ocean.

“Do you need me to take you home too?” Hangyul asks Dongpyo, seeing that both Wonjin and Jungmo expressed interest in going.

Just as Dongpyo is about to agree, Seungwoo cuts in. “I can take Dongpyo home since we live so close. Sorry guys, I don’t really feel like drinking tonight.”

Nobody objects. It wasn’t that much fun to drink with Seungwoo anyway; he rarely gets drunk, having a tolerance as high as a tank. But Jungmo raises his eyebrows at Dongpyo in the most unsubtle way as possible, going as far to give him a thumbs up. It takes all of Dongpyo’s resolve to not strangle his best friend right then and there. Instead, he takes a deep breath and looks at Seungwoo, who was watching him with a friendly smile.

“Dongpyo, is that fine with you?” Seungwoo asks politely.

“Of-of course, if it’s not too much of a bother.” Dongpyo stammers.

Seungwoo smiles more widely, his lips pressing together. “We’ll head off then. Goodnight, everyone.” They wave goodbye and part ways, Dongpyo following Seungwoo to his parked car. Not sure of what to say, he climbs into the front seat silently.

The car is quiet for the first five minutes or so. Initially nervous, Dongpyo gradually settles down in Seungwoo’s easy presence. He is quick to realize that while he easily gets ruffled by Seungwoo’s actions, the older has a calming aura that makes Dongpyo want to be around with. He even feels bold enough to initiate a conversation.

“Did you have fun tonight?”

“Yeah, it’s nice to see everyone outside of school, relaxing themselves without worries, at least for a short while. They’ve all worked so hard.” Seungwoo smiles.

_Always so thoughtful of others. _“But what about _you_? Did you personally enjoy the night?”

“Me?” Seungwoo sounds surprised. “I…” He genuinely sounds like he is struggling to answer that, as if he’s never been asked this question before.

“I did.” Seungwoo finally says. “I liked the bungeoppang ice cream.” He added thoughtfully.

Dongpyo giggles at how seriously Seungwoo answered that. “You didn’t seem to enjoy the arcade though. I was watching you when you were with Hangyul and Dohyon by the racing game.” Suddenly realizing how creepy that sounds, Dongpyo quickly blurts out, “Not that I was watching you the whole time! I was just – I just happened to see you!”

Seungwoo chuckles. “I know you were. I’ve been wanting to talk to you all night.” Dongpyo blushes, embarrassed to be caught in the act, equally flushed to hear that Seungwoo had been trying to gauge his attention as well.

He continues, “You’re right about the arcade though. I don’t usually enjoy gaming, but let’s just say I like it enough when my friends are there. Oh, and shooting games are an exception.” Seungwoo smiles slowly.

Heart pulsing, Dongpyo drops his head, unable to look at Seungwoo as he remembers the contact he had with the older at the arcade. The way his arms encircled so firmly around him, and his velvety voice whispering in his ear…Dongpyo is sure that his face is beet red right now. _Stop mulling over it! It probably didn’t even mean anything to Seungwoo. He was just being friendly…and a tad touchy._

As if he’s able to read Dongpyo’s mind, Seungwoo says, “I’m under the impression that I made you uncomfortable earlier, back at the arcade. I’m sorry if that’s the case.”

“I wasn’t uncomfortable!” Dongpyo says quickly. “I was just a bit surprised. You know, to be suddenly hugged from behind.” He adds bashfully.

“You looked like you were struggling a lot with aiming, so I just had to help you.” Seungwoo looks so serious while saying this that Dongpyo had no choice but to sigh to himself. _See, he doesn’t have any other intentions. Not that I would want him to._ He swiftly reprimands himself.

Seungwoo slowly pulls to a stop by the curb. Without Dongpyo noticing, they had already arrived at his apartment.

“Thanks for taking me home.” Dongpyo says, unbuckling his seat belt.

“You’re welcome. Good night.”

When Dongpyo turns to his right to open the car door, Seungwoo suddenly takes hold of his left wrist. Dongpyo jumps, surprised at the contact. _What is with his love of abrupt skinship?_

“I really had fun today.” Seungwoo smiles sweetly, echoing what he had said earlier. “We should do this more often, but maybe with less people.”

“Ah, was it too crowded at Hongdae today? I should’ve thought of that, it’s Friday night after all.”

“No, I meant that you and me should hang out with a smaller party, maybe alone. So that I can spend time to get to know you.”

The way that _you and me _rolled off Seungwoo’s tongue had Dongpyo’s heart beating erratically. How is it that Seungwoo can say these things with a straight face, without realizing the effect the words have on Dongpyo? _He probably doesn’t even notice how flirty he sounds_. Dongpyo hopes that Seungwoo doesn’t realize how his pulse quickens as the older is still grabbing on to his wrist. In a hurry to get out of the car, he mumbles a quick “Of course” and steps out into the cool night, waving as Seungwoo turns around to drive back towards his home.

_What an eventful night._ Dongpyo stretches in spot, wishing nothing more than to have a hot shower and snuggle in his comforter. No doubt Jungmo is already blowing up his phone, asking for a second by second detailed recap of his ride home. _I’ll text him a quick message to tell him I’m home. _Standing in front of his apartment’s entrance, he pats his pockets, searching for the familiar device. His pockets all turn up empty.

_Weird. I probably dropped it in Seungwoo’s car when I got out in a hurry. _Dongpyo sighs, too tired to track down his phone. He’ll worry about it tomorrow. He reaches for his keys in his jeans pocket, and –

WHAM.

The last memory Dongpyo has is pain exploding on the back of his head, a callous laugh echoing, and a rough hand over his mouth, muffling his cries. He desperately calls out for his parents, Seungwoo, anyone, but the hand squeezes his face tighter.

He soon succumbs to blackness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for the ending ;-;
> 
> I'm so happy that X1 is going on a short break, they deserve to rest! Especially the members with injuries, please take care of yourselves~


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seungyeon and Wooseok spend some time alone at Hongdae.

“Dohyon, it’s time to go!” Seungyeon calls to the boy who was still glued to his game, hands jerking the joystick around and pounding the buttons with vigor. His classmates talked about heading over to a bar, but they have to drop off Dohyon and Dongpyo first since they are not of age. Seungwoo, being the responsible one, has already rounded up the rest.

Dohyon reluctantly tears himself away from the machine and joins them after seeing his character dead. “Hyung, are you really going to send me home and go have fun yourself?”

Seungyeon laughs, throwing his arm around the Dohyon’s shoulder. “You know you’re too young to drink. Still have a lot of growing up to do.” Dohyon glowers at him and shrugs off his arm.

“I think Wonjin left already with Dongpyo and Jungmo.” Seungwoo tells Seungyeon, explaining their decreased group size.

“No worries! I’ll text them a message to meetup.” His gaze finds Wooseok, who is laughing at something Yohan is saying. He is bending over, body shaking and covering his mouth with the back of his hand, bouts of laughter making Seungyeon want to smile too. He longs to find out what Yohan had said that could make Wooseok laugh so hard. He kept true to words, never straying too close to Wooseok for the rest of the night, but that doesn’t mean he didn’t occasionally check out what the other boy was doing.

The boys exit the arcade, rowdy and loud as ever even after a long day. Seungyeon is so engrossed in his conversation with Byungchan about his skincare routine that he doesn’t notice that Hangyul has stopped in front of him, bumping into him as a result.

Seungyeon mutters a quick “Sorry”, grabbing onto Hangyul’s shoulders to steady himself. He looks ahead to see why they have stopped, and surprisingly sees the path ahead lit brightly with street decorative lights. The trees aligning on the sidewalk are wrapped in a string of yellow lights, surrounded by various animals that are outlined by fairy lights as well. It seems to be a popular romantic spot as various couples are seen holding hands, strolling around and taking pictures.

“How pretty.” Wooseok breathes, face tilted up in awe. He turns around to flash a smile at Seungyeon, lights illuminating warm hues on his cheeks, before running ahead to view the rest of the decorations. Seungyeon’s heart pounds, seeing how unbelievably stunning the boy is surrounded by the magical lights, looking very much like a nymph that has appeared in the middle of a forest.

“Yah Hangyul, what are you doing? I want to look at the pretty lights too!” Seungyeon hears Byungchan yelling. He turns around to see Hangyul firmly grabbing onto Byungchan and Yohan and tugging them towards the opposite direction, Yohan mirroring Byungchan’s protests as well.

“Come on now, these are just lights! Let’s not waste any more time here and just head to the bar!” Hangyul complains, but he winks at Seungyeon. Seungyeon begins to realize what the younger is trying to do here.

“_Hangyul._” Seungyeon hisses, embarrassed by what Hangyul is planning on doing but he’s completely ignored.

“Wooseok is still looking so why can’t I stay too?” Yohan grumbles.

“Since I’m your designated driver I don’t think you have much of a choice. Plus, we still have to drive Dohyon home! We’ll meet you there, Seungyeon. _Take your time._” Hangyul emphasizes the last words, once again clearly not the king of subtlety. Just as Seungyeon is glaring daggers at the younger, he sees Seungwoo and Sejun smiling faintly at the side. He grimaces. Clearly, they’re smart enough to pick up what is going here. There will be a lot of explaining to do in class on Monday.

Still dragging a much confused Yohan and Byungchan, Hangyul gives Seungyeon one last smirk before leaving towards the parking lot, the rest trailing behind. Seungyeon sighs, not sure if he should be thankful for Hangyul’s antics or not. He walks up to Wooseok, who seems oblivious to the earlier exchange between the rest of their party.

“Where did everyone go?” Wooseok blinks, looking perplexed. He stands up from the glittering pink rabbit he had been inspecting.

“Um…they’re weren’t really interested in the lights, so they decided to head over to the bar first.” Seungyeon says, slightly squirming under the half-truth he just told.

“Ah, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have taken up your time then.”

“No worries, we aren’t in a rush. They’re dropping Dohyon off first.”

Wooseok nods, turning back towards the lit trees. They stay silent for a couple of minutes, truly admiring the decorations without the presence of their noisy peers.

“This kind of reminds me of my childhood, of more carefree, innocent times. It’s like a child’s dream where it’s all light and sparkles.” Wooseok smiles wistfully.

“What do you dream of now?” Seungyeon asks.

“Standing on stage and performing my favorite songs while hearing people cheer for me, telling me that I’ve done well.” The fairy lights twinkle like stars in Wooseok’s eyes.

“Soon, it won’t be just a dream anymore.” Seungyeon says softly.

Wooseok turns around to look Seungyeon directly in the eyes. “Somehow when you say it, I can believe it to be true wholeheartedly.”

Seungyeon feels a pang in his heart. He wants to shower Wooseok with compliments, to confess how he absolutely adores every aspect of him to wash away his doubts.

“It is true.” Seungyeon affirms, taking Wooseok’s hand. “You are born to perform. Everyone will see that soon.”

Wooseok shakes his head, lips drawn up in a small smile. “You always know the right words to say, Seungyeon. It is always so comforting to be around you.”

“Seems like I can add another talent to my all-rounder title.” Seungyeon jokes.

A chilly breeze sweeps through the air, rustling the leaves on the trees. Wooseok, originally opening his mouth to form a sassy retort, shivers at the sudden cool air. Without thinking, Seungyeon takes off his bomber jacket and covers Wooseok in a swift motion. Still holding on to the front of the jacket, he tugs on the cloth, intending to wrap the material around Wooseok tighter. Instead, Wooseok stumbles a few steps forward, almost crashing into Seungyeon but stops an inch away from him.

Seungyeon hears how Wooseok’s breath hitches. He looks up, a blush already spreading across his face. Seungyeon’s mind goes blank, caught in the younger’s gaze. His large, doe eyes sparkle with the lights reflecting in them, cheeks red because of embarrassment, pink lips slightly parted. Seungyeon slowly slides his hands up to cup Wooseok’s face, running his thumb over the other’s high cheekbones. _What am I doing? I - I should stop._ Still, limbs seemingly having a mind of their own, he circles an arm around Wooseok’s waist and pulls him even closer such that he can feel his breath on his chin.

“Seungyeon.” Wooseok whispers, breath so soft that the name is almost lost in the air. Seungyeon had neither liked nor disliked his name in particular, but in this moment he suddenly appreciates how good it sounds uttered by those pretty, plush lips. He’s overwhelmed with desire to feel those lips on his, to see if they are as warm and soft as they look. Wooseok is slightly trembling, Seungyeon isn’t sure if it’s because of the cold or of their proximity, but he leans down, heart pumping so violently that he feels like it might burst, and –

“Wa-wait, Seungyeon, I ca-can't.” Wooseok stammers, pressing a palm against Seungyeon’s chest and jerking him out of his heated haze. The younger’s eyes are shining as before, but this time it’s because of unshed tears.

Seungyeon drops his arms and steps back hastily, his cheeks flaming. “I’m sorry, I wasn’t thinking – I shouldn’t have.” He mutters in a rush. He wants to make a joke and shrug the whole situation off as teasing, but he can’t bring himself to do so. Seungyeon turns around, unable to face the other boy.

He feels a tug on his sleeve. “Seungyeon, please look at me.” Wooseok says softly.

Reluctantly, Seungyeon obliges, facing Wooseok again. The latter places both of his hands on each side of Seungyeon’s face, but it’s different from how Seungyeon had cupped Wooseok’s face before, full of endearment and tenderness. Instead, it’s pressing, an urgency that Seungyeon can’t explain that has Wooseok holding onto Seungyeon like a lifeline.

“Seungyeon, I need you to know that you’re very important to me.” Seungyeon thinks it’s ironic how Wooseok is saying this now seeing how he just rejected him, but Wooseok is looking at him pleadingly, begging for him to understand something that Seungyeon can’t decipher yet.

“I – I’m sorry.” Wooseok’s voice cracks, tears silently rolling down his face.

“Don’t apologize.” Seungyeon smiles forlornly. “It’s my fault. I didn’t want to make you cry.”

Wooseok shakes his head but doesn’t say anything. Seungyeon gently envelopes Wooseok in a hug, this time strictly for comforting purposes, his natural instincts kicking in seeing how vulnerable Wooseok is even though his own heart is broken into pieces.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for how short this update is, but I promise we'll find out what happens to Dongpyo in the next chapter!


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dongpyo is in a troubling situation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: mentions bullying and violence

Dongpyo is snapped to his consciousness, back aching from impact to the ground. Judging by his position on the floor and the pain, he has been thrown carelessly just to wake him up. He blinks rapidly, disoriented, trying to make sense of his environment. It seems like he is in a deserted second floor parking lot. The memories before he passed out comes rushing back along with the intense throbbing on the back of his head, and he tentatively feels the large bump that has formed. Dongpyo can only see one car, presumably the one that the kidnappers have used to drive him over to this place. 

“Finally awake now, are we?” Someone says in a low drawl. Three hooded men wearing black masks stands in front of Dongpyo, two of them holding a baseball bat.

Dongpyo trembles at the sight. “Please…if you want money, I don’t have much! Just…just take all that I have.” His voice comes out raspy and weak, and cringes when he hears the roar of laughter from the men.

“This is not about money anymore. It hasn’t been, ever since you managed to slip your way into Class One.” The middle person says in a growl, ripping off his mask. Dongpyo gasps. It’s Jooyoung, sporting a brilliant black eye. “It should’ve been me. I have what it takes to be an idol! But no, they just had to go and pick the most undeserving ones, like you!”

“Get-getting into Class One isn’t the only way of becoming an idol.” Dongpyo tries to reason desperately. “You still have an agency, right? You’re bound to debut soon.” Seeing how Jooyoung’s face contorts angrily, he realizes too late that he has touched on Jooyoung’s pain point.

Jooyoung snarls, “That _was_ my only chance! That was my ultimatum – to get in or be dropped. I was naïve, I thought I could show them that I can succeed without Class One, but they wouldn’t listen. And now, it’s all because of you that I won’t be able to debut.” He advances towards Dongpyo. “By the time I’m done with you, maybe they’ll finally see how worthless you are. You can’t be an idol if you have a scar on your face, or a lame leg. You’ll just be as useless as I am.”

Fear quickly overflows Dongpyo’s mind as he realizes what Jooyoung plans on doing. He stands up, wobbling, still dizzy from the pain in his head, and frantically looks for an opening. He tries to back away, but his kidnappers have him cornered against a wall.

Jooyoung chuckles dangerously, a crazed glint evident in his eyes. He wraps his fingers around Dongpyo’s throat, lightly at first then adding pressure gradually.

“Don’t worry, we won’t beat your face too hard.” He whispers. “Don’t want your parents to not be able to recognize you now, do we?” Dongpyo claws at Jooyoung’s hand, unable to speak nor breath, yellow spots appearing in his vision. Tears leak out of his eyes and he desperately tries to kick at Jooyoung, pound, scratch, anything, but it only causes the other to choke him even more tightly.

Dongpyo loses strength, consciousness slipping away rapidly. He thinks he hears the roar of an engine but he dismisses the sound. _Must be my brain trying to distract itself, _he thinks almost calmly. He hopes to pass out soon to escape all the pain, but suddenly he is released and dropped to the ground. Dongpyo kneels on the floor, coughing violently, lungs sucking in deprived air. Unable to process what is happening, he massages his throat, blinking groggily. He hears various shouts and thuds, the sound of flesh colliding with flesh. Dongpyo lifts his head up.

“What…” He croaks out, not believing what he is seeing right now.

Seungwoo is standing there in front of the hooded men, eyes blazing, hands curled into fists at his side. One of the men was already kneeling on the ground, clutching his stomach. Jooyoung and his other partner were waving their bats menacingly, but Seungwoo doesn’t seem fazed at all. A strong feeling of déjà vu washes over Dongpyo, seeing this is similar to how Seungwoo had initially encountered them. The dangerous aura around Seungwoo has reappeared, but it seems to be amplified a hundred times more, making him look like a warrior angel that is ready to unleash his fury on the three men in front of him.

“I was hoping you would come.” Jooyoung taunts. “Now I can finally have my revenge on you too. Here to see how I wreck your little boyfriend’s face?” He takes a swing at Seungwoo, but the latter dodges with ease. In a quick motion Seungwoo grabs the bat, yanking it forward along with Jooyoung and throws him a punch with his other hand. As Jooyoung staggers away, Seungwoo swings the bat at the remaining man, catching him on the side and causing him to double down. Without hesitation Seungwoo grabs both of the bats and throws them behind him, clanking as they roll away on the ground.

Dongpyo watches with wide eyes as Seungwoo strides forward, throwing another vicious punch at Jooyoung, kneeling down to grab the latter’s collar as he falls down, coughing.

“You motherfu –” Jooyoung doesn’t get to finish his curse as Seungwoo begins to plummet him with hits, not relinquishing his strength by one bit. Jooyoung’s face soon turns into a bloody mess, and he stops fighting back anymore.

Dongpyo is terrified of the scene he’s seeing, terrified of this cold, violent Seungwoo, but he’s even more terrified of what will happen next if he doesn’t do anything. So he rushes forward and tries to restrain Seungwoo’s arms.

“Stop, it’s enough already! Please, Seungwoo!” Dongpyo cries out, tugging at the older with all the strength he has left.

The fire dies out in Seungwoo’s eyes, replaced by horror after realizing what he has done. He turns around, pulling the sobbing Dongpyo into a crushing hug.

“Shh, it’s okay now, Dongpyo, it’s all over. I’m sorry you had to see that.” Seungwoo whispers, frantically wiping the tears off his face.

Dongpyo cries relentlessly, letting his fear and tension all out, feeling Seungwoo rock him back and forth in an effort to soothe him.

“I’ve got you now. No one can hurt you anymore.” Dongpyo feels a warm kiss on top of his forehead, and strangely this comforts him even though he was so scared of this man a minute ago. No knowing if it is because of exhaustion or the sudden relief, Dongpyo passes out for the second time tonight.

*

Dongpyo wakes up and finds himself in his own bedroom. _How did I get here? _He tries to sit up, but the pain and dizziness in his head threatens to split his skull open.

“Easy there, you don’t want to get up too fast.” A soft voice says. Dongpyo looks to the left to see Seungwoo leaning on his dresser, watching him with tired eyes.

“I…how…what happened?” Dongpyo asks, voice still raspy from being choked.

“After you passed out, I called the police and they came to arrest…Jooyoung, is it?” Seungwoo’s mouth twists with disgust. “His other friends ran away earlier but have both been captured and awaiting trial. The police also notified your parents so they’re down at the station doing some paperwork, and I offered to watch over you as you rested. They’ll be back soon to record your testimony.”

Dongpyo breathes a sigh of relief. They won’t ever bother him again. It was all thanks to Seungwoo, who was currently still standing very far away from him.

“Why are you standing all the way over there?” Dongpyo asks, confused. “Are you hurt?” He sits up straighter, looking for a sign of discomfort on the older.

“I’m fine, I got taken care of already.” Seungwoo reassures him, showing his bandaged knuckles. “I just thought that you’d be more comfortable if I stood over here.” His voice is steady, but his eyes betray traces of anxiety and worry.

“Why would I not be comfortable around you?”

Seungwoo sighs. “You were so scared of me back there. I…lost control, and I don’t blame you for never wanting to associate yourself with me again.”

Dongpyo couldn’t believe his ears. “I was afraid of Jooyoung and the whole situation, not you! Granted, you did – surprise me a little, but you _saved_ me, Seungwoo. I can’t be scared of you for that.” His voice cracks a little at the end.

Seeing that Seungwoo doesn’t seem convinced, he pats the space beside him and says in a small voice, “Come sit down next to me. Please?”

Seungwoo hesitates, but eventually makes his way over to the bed, sitting on the very edge. Dongpyo stares at Seungwoo’s profile. Here he seems more or less like the usual Seungwoo, not a trace of the furious double he had witnessed. He has a bunch of questions unanswered, so he decides to start with the most straightforward one.

“How did you find me?”

“After I dropped you off, I noticed that you left your phone in my car. It was all thanks to Jungmo that kept texting you that I heard the buzzing that came from your phone. When I drove back to your apartment to return it, I saw those crooks carrying you into their car. Thankfully, they aren’t very smart, so they never noticed that I was following them. The rest…you know.”

Dongpyo shudders. So many things could’ve gone worse, and he’s grateful that at least he’s safe and sound now in his own home.

“What – what’s going to happen to them?” Dongpyo can’t help but ask.

“They need to be tended to their wounds first.” Dongpyo suddenly remembers the bloody state Jooyoung was left in. “Then they’ll mostly likely be trialed for kidnapping and assault, get expelled and then locked away for a long time.”

Tears start rolling down Dongpyo’s face uncontrollably, out of relief. Seungwoo rushes over instantly, cupping Dongpyo’s face and tilting his chin up.

“What’s wrong? Are you in pain?”

“I’m just gla – glad it’s all over.” Dongpyo cries. “And I know I should – shouldn’t, but I feel bad for them. They did this because of their desperation from not being able to debut, and I can’t help but think if they’re right. What if I did take the spot of a more deserving person and just ruined their dreams?”

Seungwoo’s eyes darken. “Never say that again, Dongpyo. It’s never an excuse to hurt other people because of your own circumstances. They are bad people, and they’ve hurt _you_…” He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. “You’ve worked hard all your life to be where you are now. Don’t let a few words from some criminals make you doubt yourself.”

Dongpyo struggles to catch his breath. Throughout all the times he endured Jooyoung’s cruel remarks, he still hasn’t been able to stop the words from affecting him. How can they not, when they echo the worst fears Dongpyo harbors in his heart? He’s ever grateful for Seungwoo’s strong and comforting presence; without him here now, he would’ve probably spiraled down into an endless cycle of self-doubt and dark thoughts.

“Thank you, Seungwoo.” Dongpyo says quietly. “I do want to ask another question.” Seeing that Seungwoo gives him a nod, he asks softly, “Why did you lose control back there?”

Seungwoo sighs resignedly, as if he has already foreseen that Dongpyo would ask this question. He lowers his hands.

“Seeing you get cornered and assaulted…it brought back a lot of bad memories.” Seungwoo confesses, not looking at Dongpyo. Seeing that the older is struggling to form sentences, Dongpyo threads his fingers with Seungwoo’s. The latter throws him a surprised glance, but he doesn’t pull away.

“My older sister Sunhwa was once in a similar situation. I came home one day to find out that she had been cornered by four of her classmates, taunting and bullying her for reasons I still do not know today. With no one at home to ask for help, I rushed forward, trying to stop them. But being eight and small at that time, they easily swatted me aside. I had to stay there, being held back by one of the bullies, and watch them call her nasty names, yank on her hair, kick her…” Seungwoo’s hands have curled up into fists again. “Thankfully, a passenger heard the commotion we were making and quickly came to resolve the situation. They were sent to the police station and never bothered my sister again, but it has traumatized her deeply. It was only on that day did I know that she had been constantly picked on at school. She used to have nightmares all the time for this reason.”

Dongpyo hums, heart squeezing at the pain that is obvious in Seungwoo’s eyes.

“I blamed myself for being weak and not protecting my sister, and not noticing that something was bothering her. After that day, I vowed to become strong. I exercised all the time, took up boxing and various sports, and never let myself slack off a day of training.” Seungwoo lifts his head up to look at Dongpyo. “To see you get hurt was to remind me how I failed to protect the people I care about, and it just…blew a fuse in me.”

“I had no idea.” Dongpyo whispers, placing his other hand over their threaded fingers. This explains a lot why Seungwoo is always taking care of others. “Young Seungwoo must have been quite a fighter then.”

Seungwoo cocks his head to the side. “How so?”

“Well you’re obviously very compassionate towards the people around you, so I imagine you would help every person in need that you see.”

Seungwoo looks at him with an unfathomable expression. “That’s where you’re wrong. I wouldn’t say I’m a compassionate person. Sure, I help those around me when I can, but I don’t go all the way for every person I see. It’s just those that are close to me that I have strong urge to protect. Like my siblings.”

_So does that mean he sees me as like a brother? _Dongpyo is surprised to feel disappointment at this revelation, and he tries his best to squash down this feeling.

“I didn’t know I am already family to you, Seungwoo. Isn’t it too soon?” Dongpyo teases.

“I’m not finished.” Slowly, Seungwoo leans forward, hands placed on each of Dongpyo’s sides. “Like I’ve said, I’ve always only felt this strongly towards my family. But you…” He lets out a breath slowly, and the way he says _you _has Dongpyo’s pulse quickening. “When I saw how they touched you, how cruelly they marked your skin…” He lightly runs his fingers over the fingerprint-like bruises on Dongpyo’s neck. Alarm bells are ringing in Dongpyo’s head. His breath hitches when Seungwoo trails his thumb down his throat.

“It makes my blood boil. Makes me want to tear them apart piece by piece so they feel the pain they inflicted on you by a million times more.” Seungwoo murmurs in a low voice, eyes dark and hooded. His hand moves up to Dongpyo’s face, still a gentle caress, but the possessiveness in his eyes sends shivers down Dongpyo’s spine. His logical sense tells him he should be scared, but all he feels are nervous tingles in his abdomen.

Seungwoo leans in even closer, captivating eyes never leaving Dongpyo’s. He feels like a trembling rabbit trapped in a gaze of a panther, but he can’t move; no, he _doesn’t_ want to move. Seungwoo stops when he’s only a breath away from Dongpyo’s lips, eyes half-closed, as if teasingly waiting for Dongpyo’s reaction. The younger feels like might pass out the third time tonight out of anticipation or anxiety, he can’t decide, but he’s saved by the sudden ring from his cellphone.

Dongpyo jumps, turning around to look for his device. Looking at the caller ID on his phone, he says breathlessly, “It’s my mom.” Seungwoo had already swiftly retracted to the edge of the bed, reverting back to his usual composed self.

Still feeling flustered under Seungwoo’s gaze, he answers the call. He endures a full five minutes of his mother’s panicked questions and scolding, unable to cut in.

“Mom – calm down – yes, I’m fine. No, you don’t – Seungwoo is still here. Yeah, I’m ready to provide my testimony. Okay, I’ll see you soon.” Dongpyo hangs up, sighing. He feels incredibly guilty that he got involved in such a situation. _They already worry about me so much._

“They’re coming back home now, and I have to go to the station later to give my testimony.” Dongpyo says. He yawns, but winces at the sharp throbbing on the back of his head.

“Here, take some painkillers.” Seungwoo gestures to the pills and glass of water on Dongpyo’s bedside that have magically appeared. Huh. He didn’t even notice when Seungwoo left his bedroom to fetch the medication.

“You should rest some more.” Seungwoo says, watching Dongpyo gulp down the pills.

Dongpyo nods, still exhausted from tonight’s events. He lies down and snuggles into the covers. Out of the corner of his eye, he sees Seungwoo stand up.

“Seungwoo!” Dongpyo blurts out.

“You’ll – you’ll stay with me, right?” He asks in a small voice. “At least until my parents come home?”

Seungwoo smiles sweetly. “Of course. I won’t leave you, Dongpyo. Rest well.” He leans down and presses a warm kiss on Dongpyo’s cheek, and the younger can’t help but wonder if his promise meant something more. But he lets himself be lulled to sleep by Seungwoo’s soothing words, and soon falls into a dreamless slumber.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I might be posting less frequently after this chapter because my uni workload is really starting to pile up, but as always I'll try to write more because I love it <3 hope you guys enjoy!

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! Thank you for reading! This is my first ever fic, plus English is my second language, so apologies for the writing! I absolutely adore the Produce boys and have been wanting to write a story about them for a long time, so I decided to give it a shot. Any comments, questions or suggestions are welcome!


End file.
